In a letter to his wife Joyce on March 15, 1944, Paul—apparently in response to a question from her—spoke about his plans for the diary he was keeping:
No Sweets, I have never thought of writing for a living—furthermore I don’t believe I will even try. Writing is for those so gifted to put down on paper words and phrases which can and do control the readers interests—make him laugh or feel sad—all in the space of one paragraph. I could write—but I do not have the gift of humor. I have an ample vocabulary—and a world of things to write about—but I am absolutely devoid of humor. Therefore my “story” would interest only those who know me—and would never hit an interested public in general. However, I do intend writing in book form of the things I have seen and my flying experiences after the war—not for publication—but for my own family and friends, just to have a keepsake for my children to read in later years. I have since the moment I boarded the plane at Miami kept an accurate and colorful account of everything of interest I have seen—both scenic and adventurous. These “notes” will be enough for me to link these together in story form then. But that is as far as I plan it now. Perhaps later I might feel different—but then I can do as I please, now I can do nothing but keep notes.
Having read his entire diary and most of his letters to Joyce, I would not agree that he was “absolutely devoid of humor.” His humor tended more to the wry outlooks and subtle humorous observations than belly-laughs. His writing does show a preoccupation with the dire side of things…but then he was immersed in a difficult conflict in a real backwater of WW II. His descriptions certainly qualify as “colorful” accounts.
(left) Unidentified 90th FS member with artwork
above officer’s bar somewhere in Assam.
(right) Paul Eastman at unspecified base in Assam
(photo captioned on back with “Rough War!”)
