My grandfather was not yet married, but was being playful with his girlfriend, Groveene Buss. This was the first letter, he wrote to her since leaving to Canada.
The letter shares factual information abut the Brandon Base, including how many men, the training... It is clear that Jim is in love with flying and having fun with his new journey.
I assume that as part of the requirement in joining the RCAF that my granfather had to create a Will. Here is the document.
I am not sure what state of mind he was in when filling this out. It looks rushed and with little thought. The events that would transpire were far from Jim's mind.
My grandfather's next letter came the following week. He had made the journey from Windsor to Brandon. Brandon is in the Manitoba province of Canada. It sits above the Dakotas, relatively near the border, Here my grandfather's flight training would begin.
The letter is lengthy and I darkened it to to make it clearer to read. Much of the letter can be viewed as mundane, as it refers to food he is eating, sending his pajamas, making his car payment. Of interest to is that there was a 15 girl entertainment troupe called the The Victory Troupe. The letter asks about Groveene (Buss) who was the girlfriend he left in Michigan. She would later become my grandmother. He also asks about his sister, Virginia Watkins in Alaska.
How did James' journey begin? We go back to the beginning of the story when a young man who was working in the furniture industry of Grand Rapids, slipped across the Canadian Border in the middle of the night. He was in his early 20's and a graduate of Kendall Art School. He was working towards a career in furniture design. However, James always wanted to fly, and Canada was churning out pilots to fight against Nazi aggression in Europe. Depending on who you ask the US was still on the sidelines of the war, due to a policy of isolationism or needed time to ramp up its war infrastructure. Like most things, it was likely a mixture of both. The upshot was that Canada was at war, and the US was not. Young men crossed the border to be a part of history. Ironically, 20 years later young men made this same trek to avoid war. I often heard about men considering crossing to Canada to avoid the draft in the Vietnam War.
International policy aside, here is the first letter that James sent home after he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. The letter briefly mentions his apology for his sudden departure but remains defiant in the resulting action of his choosing to go to war. His father was a loving and controlling father, who would have reasoned James out of his decision and kept James safely in Grand Rapids, and on the ground. There is a tinge of excitement in the letter regarding the journey that awaited him. He had made it to Windsor Canada and would be traveling to Brandon Canada. We often hear about the tribulations of war. It is clear that James is excited about the idea of war and realizing his dream of being a pilot.
There are a few details that I find of interest. The RCAF called the Americans that crossed the border the American Eagle Squadron. I like this name and a search on the internet yields interesting information. In addition, the letter refers to "Groveene". Groveene Buss would become my Grandmother. Ok. This detail may be more interesting to me!
James was on a bombing run over Yugoslavia when his plane went missing. The Army dispatched this grave news via Western Union telegram. Brief and to the point, the telegram stated that James was missing. It is sobering the amount of information that the family had, and the waiting process that began before his fate would be known. As a culture with immediate answers to almost anything, it is incomprehensible that historically, people were left unknowing the fate of their loved ones.
The telegram was followed by the letter below. Again, giving grave news and leaving the family in the unknown.
Groveene Buss' grandfather founded the Buss Machine Works in Holland Michigan. This factory had a significant impact on Holland's economy.....
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