Dear Cleda,

Just returned from the flight line and have alittle time before retreat formation.

How does Greenville seem after being away for awhile? I guess the telephone seems awful quiet, or is everyone calling up wondering when Dad is coming back?

By the way I am sending you a small pair of wings. I hope you receive them because I have had them for several days trying to figure out a way to send them and finally decided upon the envelope. The PX here doesn’t have any wrapping facilities so it is some what of a problem. The ear rings were more for bombardiers but they weren’t able to get what I wanted. They had a set of ear rings and pin to match with the medical corps insignia that I liked very well, however, they didn’t have any with the air corps and weren’t able to get any. I like them alot and maybe at the next base they will have some, if so, I’ll send them.

We will be leaving here pretty soon and the way things look I’ll be going to Luke Field. It is at Glendale, Ariz. about 20 mi from Phoenix. I have about 25 min. of flying to get in and I’ll have my required no. of hours for basic. They have been pushing us a good deal because they want to finish up early so they can give the ground crews a few days off before the new class arrives. Consequently we have been flying 3, 4 or sometimes even 5 hrs. a day. When you go like this for awhile it doesn’t take long for it to become a regular job. However, the time was pretty diversified, that is, we had night flying, formation, cross country, acrobatics, etc. which kept it from getting boring.

I wish you would thank Ann, John, Selma and her family for their Christmas. I received the stationary OK, in fact this is it. I am going to try and write them, but I have been trying to write alot of people and I still am busy.

When do you plan to go back to Chicago, or have you decided yet? If everything goes well I might get off sometime in April so plan on being there then anyway.

Is Agnes till staying there? If so tell her hello.

I was wondering what you did with Nick.

Enough for now.

with love,

Tom

P.S. I was wondering if it was proper to thank people for Christmas cards through the Advocate. If you think this would be OK, you might call them and say something to the effect that I’d like to thank all those who sent them and that I wish I could write them, etc. If you think it is too late thats OK, but I didn’t know just what to do. I received about 100 + some and as you know I have a hard enough time doing justice to my family let alone write all those people. Maybe they didn’t expect it anyway.