JANUARY 1944. COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

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In January of 1944, Ang and Betty had been in South Carolina for five months and had settled in to Army life. Ang was still taking classes and accumulating hours in training flights in B-25 Medium Bombers. He logged 40+ hours in the air, including 3 long flights of 7 or eight hours. Betty spent her time cooking, sewing, reading, cleaning, ironing, waiting for Ang to come home from flights or from the base, and worrying. She mentions going to the club for movies, dancing, and shows. I assume that they did those things together for the most part.
     There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about January 1944. Ang and Betty lived a routine Army life. Well, except they did not live "on base" as the on base housing was very limited. 

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The Diary

Saturday, January 1. Marge and I to Mass and then to movies. Adams called--also finally a wire from L.A. Read all evening. Bed late.
January 2. Met Marge after Mass and to movie. Rained all day. Saw Couch’s - drove us home. Late dinner. Read in evening. Late.
January 3. Cold and damp today. Ironed all morning. Ang home at noon. Shopped - early dinner. Wrote letters in evening. Early bed.
January 4. Up late and to post - to movie and then had dinner at the club. Kem came home. Earl [?] came too. Bed around 10:00.
  Form 5: Jan 4. Training flight as bombardier, B25-G, 1h 15min
[Form 5 is the Individual Flight Record; see below]
January 5. Up early and to hairdressers. Shopped and home. Cleaned house and a short nap. Ironed and wrote some letters after dinner.
January 6. Up around nine - cleaned the living room. Bathed and downtown. Out to Base for dinner & a show. To bed around eleven.
January 7. Knitted for awhile and then back to bed. Downtown early & shopped. Late dinner and wrote some letters. Bed early.
January 8. Up early but back to bed. Rained all day. Downtown - home & cleaned up. To Base for dinner, movie & dance. Late.
January 9. To Mass. Snowed and very messy. Had a nap. Late dinner. We called L.A. Knitted in evening. Bed about eleven.
January 10. Out to Base for dinner and to movie. Ang made a killing on the slot machines. Bed sort of late.
January 11. Washed - a huge one. Cleaned up a little, but Marge went to store. Ang on a flight. To bed about twelve. Wrote letters.
  Form 5: Jan 11. Training flight as bombardier, B25-C, 4h
  Form 5: Jan 11. Training flight as bombardier, B25-C, 1h 50min
  Form 5: Jan 11. Training flight as bombardier, B25-C, Night, 4h 15min
January 12. Ang got home about 2:00 A.M. Up late. downtown early & home about 3:00. To library and wrote letters. Bed about 10.
January 13. Ironed. Had quite a bit. Cleaned up and downtown to store. Ang and I home for dinner alone & all evening.
  Form 5: Jan 13. Training flight as bombardier, B25-G, 2h 
January 14. Rained all day - very depressing. Downtown to store. Home early. Scrubbed floors. To movies. Bed very early.
January 15. Cold came back today and felt pretty miserable. Read all day and evening. S’s out [Schricker’s] We went to bed about 10:30.
January 16. Very beautiful day. To Mass. Had nap in afternoon. To Club for dinner and to movie. Bed about eleven.

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Betty & Marge in Columbia. 1944.

  
  

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​ January 17. Had hair done in A.M. Read & did some sewing in P.M. Listened to radio after dinner. Bed about 11:00 Tired.
 January 18. Cleaned house to some extent. Cleaned up and to store. Dinner alone - to movies in evening. Bed about 10:30
 January 19. Sewed today - washed a few things out. Ang went to Bahamas. We went out. He got home about 9:00. Bed about 11:30
   Form 5: Jan 19. Training flight as bombardier, B25-G, 8:30h
 January 20. Didn’t do much work all day. Read all afternoon. To Club for dinner & to movie. Bed about twelve.
 January 21. Washed and really had a day. Marge sick and I made the meals and such. Dead tired. To bed about ten.
 January 22. To bank before noon. Marge still in bed. Boys to store again. Read in evening. Dead tired. Bed about 10:30
 January 23. To 12:00 Mass. Straight home. Started dinner about 3:00. Nice supper. Tired again. Bed very early.
 January 24. Downtown with Ang - took radio in. Shopped and had a bite to eat. Ironed in P.M. Sewed in evening & bed early.
 January 25. Mopped the front rooms. Dead tired and sore. Ate supper out - boys home late. Listened to radio. Bed early.
   Form 5: Jan 25. Training flight as bombardier, B25-G, 8:10h
  January 26. Wrote letters all P.M. Cleaned up and out to Club for early dinner. Also to show. Home and bed rather early.
  January 27. Up about ten. Didn’t do much all day. Ang home at noon. Cleaned up - had dinner & to library & for ride.
  January 28. Downtown early to bank. Washed when I got home and then mopped kitchen. Picnic supper and then to hear [??]
  January 29. Sick. Just loafed all day. Felt rather low. Ang home early - napped in P.M. To dance at Club. Bed late.
 January 30. To 12:00 Mass. Rode down with Ang. Wrote letters in P.M. Late dinner. Turned cooler today. To bed about ten.
  Form 5: Jan 30. Training flight as bombardier, B25-D, 2:45h
 January 31. Up very late - house sort of chilly. Downtown all P.M. To Club for dinner and waited for late movie. Dead tired.
Form 5: Jan 31. Training flight as bombardier, B25-G, 7:00h

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Form 5. Individual Flight Record. January 1944