Elmendorf Field, Anchorage Alaska.
April 9, 1941
Hello Zim!
Can't tell you how glad I was to hear from you. Your letter just did catch up with me yesterday, so you see that I am really prompt on the reply even though you thought that I had neglected to write. Takes a long time for mail to catch up with me now.
Boy, they really deported me! Would have given my eye teeth to have stayed right there in california--in fact I practically had an instructors job all waiting for me. Was jerked right out of instructors school one morning and slapped with a hot wire from Washington ordering ten of us to Alaska and the boat was practically sailing according to the wire. Got out of town as soon as possible and we left Seattle about three days later. Now I am up here about four thousand miles from nowhere and dam little chance of getting back to the states for God only knows when. My only chance is to get out feet first and I won't be able to get much satisfaction out of that so guess I'm just plain stuck.
Am very happy for you and Dotty and wish you all the success in the world. Karl had told me that the big wedding was to be on Easter Sunday and I was certainly glad to hear it. She is certainly a wonderful girl Zim, and I know that you both will be happy and have lots of fun Wish that it were possible for me to live that kind of a life, but I asked for this dam army and now I'm stuck with it. What would you like for a wedding present? There isn't much up here, but maybee I can find something that will remind you of the northland.
Zim, this is a wonderful country for any sportsman--in fact it is the best in the world I suppose. The fishing is some of the best that it is possible to imagine, and the good part of it is that there is no license required. Hunting is almost prohibitive for the no-resident and the tax to take any of the big game is terribly high. After one year in this country and then the hunting becomes within the reach of my pocket book. There is only a small license fee after that time then we can go after the big Brown bear--known as the Kodiac Bear. It is a huge animal and they are real meat eaters and very dangerous. Hunters are not permitted in some parts of the country as they don't seem to last as long as the Bear. There is the Black Bear, Blue Glacier Bear, and many other species. Millions of Caribou and Moose, and the mountain Goats just seem to be in most hunters way. Guess I'd have been more happy here than anyplace in the world if I'd have come here several years ago and things were a bit different. Now for some reason as beautiful as this country is I'll never be happy here and I can see that right now. If I knew when I could get back to the states it might not be so bad, but we haven't the slightest idea. Rumor has it that this squadron that I'm attached to will be here at least two years and perhaps much longer than that.
Well, enough of Alaska. Will write again of more of it as I see it but right now I am hoping that something happens to get me back to the states. Oh yes, about the flying. Had my choice of getting into this
persuit outfit or taking the Medium Bombardment. Took the persuit as these little jobs are fast as hell and lots of fun to fly. It is a bit more hazardous perhaps but that is of no significance to me. The big stuff just flys almost straight and level most of the time and it's just like riding in a truck or driving it compared to
this little P-36 persuit plane that they are using up here. There are twenty planes in the
squadron and just twenty persuit pilots, so we stand a good chance of getting plenty of time in. Boy! you should see these things get off the ground and get upstairs in a hurry. We never dive them in excess of 490 miles per hour so you know I'm really taking it easy up here. This is a most beautiful country, and these mountains seem too beautiful to be real. All the mountains are very high and many of the peaks up here are up to 19,000 feet high. Boy they would make mountains like Shasta and Hood look like mole hills.
There is plenty of skiing here among the officers. Guess because it's plenty cheap. Skiis and snowshoes are articles of issue and cost us nothing. We use the Army station wagons for all officer transportation as the mud is knee deep all over the post due to the thawing ground this time of year. The private cars are scarce but as long as there is plenty of government transportation guess we will get along O.K. In this town of Anchorage they want at least four prices for everything. Thought I'd seen some tough holes in my day, but all the logging camps in the country were like Sunday schools compared to this. If there isn't a stabbing or some kind of a killing every week it seems that the weekly paper just hasn't anything to talk about. The trappers come to town every time they have a big roll of skins, and things are really popping. There is one bar in the town that is exactally like some of the old saloons that you have seen and heard of. This particular place hasn't locked it's doors since 1912. Can you imagine that. Guess it's a good place to do my drinking. No chance of getting thrown out of that place, huh?
Isn't so very cold up here--in fact the weather is very agreeable this time of year. The nights get very cold and all the ground gets quite hard. Then the sun comes out and the mud gets soft and we go up over our ankles in the stuff. Plenty of army issue in clothes and they issued us five pair of various type boots and shoes so we are equipped for the conditions. A light weight lamb lined coat keeps us very warm most of the, and the other clothes are much the same as we wear in the states. The Alaska winter issue is all fur lined flying suits and Parkas for all the flying officers. We get about two hundred pounds of fur lined equipment altogether, and it is really swell stuff. Hate to think of spending a winter in here though. There will be all of about three hours of daylight out of every twenty four. Now we are having very long days and in another couple of months we will have about twenty two hours of daylight every day. In Fairbanks they start a baseball game at midnight to issue in the season and the land of the midnight sun. If I can ever get around to it, I know you'd enjoy having a snapshot or two of this beautiful country.
Was very glad to hear that you are getting along well with the job, and that it is so worth while. Maybee some day you'll be the president of the whole show or something. Would give my right arm if I were in your shoes and had a job like that. Was interested in hearing news from people from Eugene and from school. Karl tells me you made many trips to Eugene this past year and kept yourself well abreast of the times and the happenings in lane county. I know how happy you and Dotty must be and you know I'm hopping you both all the happiness in the world. Please remember me to Dotty, and anyone else whom you might come in contact with that we used to know while at school. Suppose that Dotty has seen Jean or someone has told you that she is in school again this term. Brought her up with me, and left her in Eugene. Hope you will get to see her. She is just the same as ever. Hated to leave her at school and would give anything if I could have her with me, but guess it's out of the question up here.
Well, guess I'm not saying anything worth hearing so will quit before I bore you to tears. Will write again as soon as there is anything of interest and any importance whatever to write about. Please write to me if you can find some spare time. I did enjoy your letter very much-- you have no idea how welcome any news from friends from the civilized country is to me here. Wish I were able to witness the ceremony and be one of the first to wish you both much happiness, but as that is impossible the letter will have to be a poor second choice. You know I'll be thinking of you both on Easter and that you'll have all the best wishes in the world.
Yours,
[No signature - it has probably faded over the years. The letter was
typed on very thin paper]
[Ed. note: Google search for Dean A. Cadle, Elmendorf, reveals that
his plane crashed near Naknek, Alaska on June 1, 1942,
and his body was not recovered. Very sad. That is probably why they kept his letter. The
Aleutian Islands campaign started June 3, 1942, when the Japanese attacked the Aleutians at Dutch Harbor. Dean was probably flying patrol, as they knew the Japanese fleet was coming.]
| 420601 | AT-7A | 41-21159 | 34ABSq | | Elmendorf Field, AK | | KMIS | 5 | Cadle, Dean A | USA | AK | Missing vacinity of Naknek, AK |
