DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

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Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

1942-12-17: Page 07

(4)
(Friday night) When you were home in September I believe I mentioned that I would
be donating to the blood bank, and you expressed an interest in my type.  When my
report came back it gave my type as "A".
This week I was down town shopping, mostly for George. Mother had made two sallies
to buy G. a pair of corduroy pants, and brought them home too small in the waist.
I finally filled the bill with a purchase at Nebraska Clothing. At the same time
I bargained for a present to me from mother; a new sweater coat, if you can fancy
anything wrong with that form fitting gray number whcih I have been wearing.  It
came (the new one) from Browning King. Passing thru Kilpatricks I stopped a moment
1 to thank Ecklund for sending me some shirts I had been trying to find for some weeks.
He asked about you and wished to be remembered when next I wrote to you. He had told
me previously how you had stopped for a greeting when you were home, and how thoughtful
it was for you to remember him. Ben had done the same thing when he was home in June.
I have requested that your Digest be sent here for the duration. Perhaps the January
number will follow you, but thereafter all will come here.  I do my Digest reading
on the street car.
We have had notes from Ella Scott and also from the old man himself. Recently I had
sent Ella the long ago promised picture of the Mormon monument.  They said that Nig's
nephew, of whom you have perhaps heard them speak, will be in Omaha next week as a
member of the Washington State (Pullman) BB team, playing Creighton. We shall try to
contact him. That date, Wednesday, will conflict with my air-raid warden activities,
as I want to take the final exam that night, to pass the first aid course. We had
the second blackout last Monday, and it was a grand success - everybody cooperated
in good style. Wee Pansing is warden for his side of the street, and a neighbor a
few doors east of us, Soledade, looks after the north of this block.  I have a flashlight and a whistle, but won't have any badge or certificate until I have completed
the training. Great stuff; Bert should get in on it.
We had a very interesting visit with John Rushlau on Monday evening. He had been
here for a couple of weeks as fortunately for him his plane broke down here in Omaha.
He is 2d Lt in the Army, assigned to the ferry command, and has been co-pilot in
ferrying bombers around this country. He has not been outside.  The ships he has
been on are B24s, which he states are pretty sluggish to handle. Wishes he could
get some B17s, as he hears they really fly like airplanes.
Did mother tell you about the girl who called up here and said that a letter written
by her brother overseas said that he had been at the same base with you just a few
days before. The gal got it that he had seen you across the water, but that couldn't
very well be.  She must have got the wrong signal somewhere.  There seem to have been
some conflicting reports on your late activities. Don't let them confuse you by one
jot or tittle.
Your letter mailed in Greensboro came to-day. We wondered how you seemed to be
travelling on  individual orders, that is, apparently alone. Why aren't you with
a squadron? What has become of Haugebak? You haven't mentioned him for weeks.
Hope that you can inform us on your probabilities as much as is possible. But no
matter where, you will know that we are beside you, knowing that no assignment will
be more than you can successfully accomplish. You will never fly alone, you know.
Enclosed are some clippings that have accumulated and may be of interest. Do you
remember Bill Finnicum? He was the conductor who hollered "Waukee" when the noon
train rattled down the tile factory hill that summer day in 1927, when you came home
from Turin. Reese gave me the piece about the Iowa cornfields.
George is playing North to-night. He is in good spirits these days and really is trying
hard in his school work. Hope he will accomplish some improvement there.
Love and cheer Pop

Saving...

(4) (Friday night) When you were home in September I believe I mentioned that I would be donating to the blood bank, and you expressed an interest in my type. When my report came back it gave my type as "A". This week I was down town shopping, mostly for George. Mother had made two sallies to buy G. a pair of corduroy pants, and brought them home too small in the waist. I finally filled the bill with a purchase at Nebraska Clothing. At the same time I bargained for a present to me from mother; a new sweater coat, if you can fancy anything wrong with that form fitting gray number whcih I have been wearing. It came (the new one) from Browning King. Passing thru Kilpatricks I stopped a moment 1 to thank Ecklund for sending me some shirts I had been trying to find for some weeks. He asked about you and wished to be remembered when next I wrote to you. He had told me previously how you had stopped for a greeting when you were home, and how thoughtful it was for you to remember him. Ben had done the same thing when he was home in June. I have requested that your Digest be sent here for the duration. Perhaps the January number will follow you, but thereafter all will come here. I do my Digest reading on the street car. We have had notes from Ella Scott and also from the old man himself. Recently I had sent Ella the long ago promised picture of the Mormon monument. They said that Nig's nephew, of whom you have perhaps heard them speak, will be in Omaha next week as a member of the Washington State (Pullman) BB team, playing Creighton. We shall try to contact him. That date, Wednesday, will conflict with my air-raid warden activities, as I want to take the final exam that night, to pass the first aid course. We had the second blackout last Monday, and it was a grand success - everybody cooperated in good style. Wee Pansing is warden for his side of the street, and a neighbor a few doors east of us, Soledade, looks after the north of this block. I have a flashlight and a whistle, but won't have any badge or certificate until I have completed the training. Great stuff; Bert should get in on it. We had a very interesting visit with John Rushlau on Monday evening. He had been here for a couple of weeks as fortunately for him his plane broke down here in Omaha. He is 2d Lt in the Army, assigned to the ferry command, and has been co-pilot in ferrying bombers around this country. He has not been outside. The ships he has been on are B24s, which he states are pretty sluggish to handle. Wishes he could get some B17s, as he hears they really fly like airplanes. Did mother tell you about the girl who called up here and said that a letter written by her brother overseas said that he had been at the same base with you just a few days before. The gal got it that he had seen you across the water, but that couldn't very well be. She must have got the wrong signal somewhere. There seem to have been some conflicting reports on your late activities. Don't let them confuse you by one jot or tittle. Your letter mailed in Greensboro came to-day. We wondered how you seemed to be travelling on individual orders, that is, apparently alone. Why aren't you with a squadron? What has become of Haugebak? You haven't mentioned him for weeks. Hope that you can inform us on your probabilities as much as is possible. But no matter where, you will know that we are beside you, knowing that no assignment will be more than you can successfully accomplish. You will never fly alone, you know. Enclosed are some clippings that have accumulated and may be of interest. Do you remember Bill Finnicum? He was the conductor who hollered "Waukee" when the noon train rattled down the tile factory hill that summer day in 1927, when you came home from Turin. Reese gave me the piece about the Iowa cornfields. George is playing North to-night. He is in good spirits these days and really is trying hard in his school work. Hope he will accomplish some improvement there. Love and cheer Pop