June 23, 1944

Things are happening fast around Brisbane. As of June 15 everybody was transferred into Far East Air Forces (P). We are now FEAF, or the Administrative control of the Fifth Air Force and the Thirteenth Air Force (Admiralty Islands). We have two officers and two enlisted men from both the 5th and the 13th Air Force learning the ropes here in our office. We are still doing all the reports but it won't be for long because the separate Air Forces are taking over. We will have them to for about another month but then we will have practically nothing to do but consolidate a couple of consolidated reports. Everybody is wondering when and how long we will stay in Brisbane because we know from the rumors that go around that it won't be long before we leave this place. Already they are forming our advance echelon at Hollandia and some of the personnel has been chosen and some is already there. By all the laws of bad luck I should have been chosen to go but the Gods were with me or something. We are sweating out Washington to make FEAF something less than a provisional outfit so that we will be authorized a T/O and then we can make a rating or something. Until we get that P off of the FEAF we are a bunch of sad sacks. The 13th Surgeon's Office has a Master, two techs, two staffs, two bucks, and two corporals and only about 35,000 men as near as I can figure and we have this lousy T/O of 1 tech, 1 staff, 1 buck, 1 corporal, 1 pfc, and 1 pvt and we have 14 men in the office. We're so far over T/O that it is funny. We have invaded the Marianas and tangled with a part of the Jap Navy but nothing much yet. The Normandy battle is coming OK with Cherbourg due to fall any day. The 13th is moving to Biak. Got a letter from June saying she has gone out with a job and then my letters dropped off to three in the week. I'm leery about the deal yet but I don't know anything for sure so I have to keep shut up. Just getting prepared for the worst in case, I suppose. Just went down to the PX and General Kenney walked in. He is all over the place. The weather here is very good considering that it is supposed to be winter. The nights are pretty cold at Archer Field but the days are beautiful and sunshiny.