Thursday, April 13, 1944

To The Bryant Service Club,

Many thanks for the candy. We all appreciate a box of candy. It goes quite quickly in this office. Helps one to digest the dust better. Also was glad to receive your letter though the names mentioned are those of men after my time. The records will show that I have been out of school for quite a long time. You don’t have to change my address. I am living right here among the dust clouds.

Today was a nice day. Sun shined all day and the wind only reached 55 miles per hour. I don’t think there is over a quarter of an inch of sand on the floor. We will sweep it out in the morning and see how much we can accumulate on Friday. It is a good country to raise cattle anyway.

Best of Luck to All,
Len Crawley [Transcription ends]

LEN CRAWLEY
12th Technical School Squadron
Scott Field, Illinois

August 25, 1942

Bryant Service Club
Providence, R.I.

Gentlemen,

I received your package some time ago and as always in the Army it was nice to hear from New England. This radio course is much different from Bryant. I have been here three months and will be here for another six weeks. They called this the Radio University of the Air Corps but it is the first school I ever attended where I had to get up at 4.45 A.M.

Good luck in your enterprise.

C. Leonard Crawley ‘36

P.S. Give my regards to Mr. Gulski and Mr. Lee. [Transcription ends]

ARMY AIR FORCES ADVANCED FLYING SCHOOL (SE)
EAGLE PASS ARMY AIR FIELD
EAGLE PASS, TEXAS

September 3, 1943
Friday

Dear Service Club,

You ask about addresses and such. Mine hasn’t changed though my title has. I am classified as a Control Tower Operator down here and also it has been rumored that I am a Radio Mechanic. The latter is a case of slander against all good radio men everywhere so we will have to discount it. Indeed Randolph Field had my civilian occupation as a Mech and as all of my mechanical knowledge was confined to typewriters, bookkeeping machines and driving automobiles I think there must have been some mistake. But in keeping with established Army Policy I was found to be wasting my time doing clerical work and made into a pseudo radio man and promotions have come much faster than if I had been placed into something I knew about. But I’m not mad about it at all. I stay down here on the friendly Mexican border and make forays across the Rio Grande now and then for a decent meal. They grow beef over there. Indeed they grow BEEG, FEROSHUS? BULLS [sic] and once a month they have a public butchering which they call a bull fight. I swear that I had a T-Bone from one of those tough babies the last time I visited Piedras Negras. For the ones who are not familiar with Spanish that means black rocks. I want you to know that I have picked up some good words too since coming to this country where the sun shines daily and dust gets in your eyes, barracks, blankets and clothes.

My brother Wes is now in Sicily. His address is:
Lt. Wesley C. Crawley
Co. A., Prov. Sig. A. W. Bn. Mobile
c/o 3rd Air Defense Wing
A.P.O. 525
c/o Postmaster
New York, N. Y.

Why anyone should need all that address, I don’t know. He was promoted to first lieutenant recently.

I think that is about all you want from me,

Sincerely,
Len Crawley [Transcription ends]

December 26, 1942

Bryant Service Club
Bryant College
Providence, R.I.

Gentlemen:

Thank you for the candy. It is nice to receive things and mail from New England. I like to receive the Bulletin even better. I should bring you up-to-date on my address and title. It is now --
Corporal C. L. Crawley
3rd Airways Communications Sq.
Army Air Base
Eagle Pass, Texas.

I am a Control Tower Operator and by no stretch of the imagination can Bryant College take credit for making a so-called radio man out of me. When I was inducted I asked to be placed in “Finance” but four days later I was in the Air Force and the first of June I was in Radio School. So I don’t know what to advise potential draftees to ask for when the time comes. One thing about it, though, it sure is a snap in the Army. Just drill, that’s all.

Give my best wishes for a Happy New Year to Mssrs. [sic] Lambert, Lee, Naylor and Gulski and tell those old men to stay out of the Army. It is bad enough for us young, single men.

I have just spent the queerest Christmas. I went to town last night in shirt-sleeves. Never did that in New England this time of year. Was talking to a girl last night who has only seen snow which really covered the ground once in 24 years. They just use natural gas for heat. The gas rationing is tough on the people down here. All these little towns are at least 40 miles apart. So what is a rancher going to do about his mail on 4 gallons of gas per week? And this is where they grow the stuff. Best wishes to all of you.

Len Crawley ‘36 [Transcription ends]

December 23, 1943

Dear B. S. C.,

I received a package from you today after it had toured the state of Texas. The candy is in fine shape and will be consumed rapidly. The box it came in must have been the plaything of every baggage-smasher from Providence to the Southwest. How it held together is one of those miracles. The PO here marked it “Received in Bad Order,” but as long as it was bad order and not bad odor, who cares? All of us fellows here sure appreciate it, I assure you.

Do not let that peaceful scene above [etched landscape with cowboy and horse at top of stationery] fool you. Maybe at some times of the year a cowboy could sit down and watch the cattle from a hill, but right now he would freeze to death. The cattle and the horses have thick, shaggy coats and for the last two weeks they have had a tough time finding anything to eat because of all the snow. Of course I have had to do more driving around the country the last two months than ever before and none of the trucks have cabs. You might think it would build a fellow up but it doesn’t. Just wears him out. And to think I went to Bryant so I could get a soft job, inside, and wouldn’t have to be tough at all. But I can’t kick. I’m still in a good country.

You ask for changes in address. It’s on the envelope. The best of luck to all of you and may the draft board ignore all of you entirely.

Keep grinning’,
Len Crawley [Transcription ends]