As you can see we finally got our address and it wasn’t Tenn of which I am kind of glad. It is true it would have been closer to home but in the army you can be six blocks from home and still not get there. Any more mail that you send, send it to Sant Ana, however, don’t send my razor till I have a more definite address. For only being in the army 4 months I have covered a good deal of country. The trouble is that this will be the second time I have gone over this track.
So far this week they have been letting us rest up and thank goodness for that. I can’t see why anyone would want to live in this country during the summer. I don’t think I have ever been so hot for so long in all my life. You should see some of the contraptions some of the fellows have in there (sic) rooms trying to keep it alittle cooler. We hang wet towels and sheets all over the beds every night but it doesn’t help much. Yesterday we went swimming from 10 A.M. till 2 P.M. This morning I had to go out to the field and get my notebook. Tonight we have a post dance which is sort of a farewell party for those of us that are leaving, they have one about every month.
June 30, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Tuesday Afternoon, Page 2
Dad I received your letters and thanks alot for the pictures I was wondering how they turned out. I didn’t think Eddie Greer was going to have to go into the army till he got out of med-school. He had already been accepted.
I am glad the shoes fit you because they are good shoes and should be broke in enough so they won’t hurt your feet. It sounds as if the draft is taking just about everyone at home. They will soon have just about all they can get. I also received a letter from Grandma yesterday, I hadn’t expect to hear from her this soon. I am going to write her tomorrow. It sounded like you are getting some heat there also. I guess after all that rain the humidity is up too.
Mr. and Mrs. Perkins are coming out to see me Fri. evening. I will be able to see them for a short time. We won’t get off any this weekend and they wanted to see me before we left.
I want to write Elaine and Zoe yet this afternoon and this was mainly to let you know the address. I will write again before we leave. We leave this Sat. night.
Tom describes his check flight. He passed, but his landing were troublesome because of gusts of wind at the last minute. Despite his complaints, he admits he and many of his friends will miss Arizona State College when they leave. “It really hasn’t been so awful bad.”
It seems that I haven’t written for some time, but the days are passing so fast I can hardly keep track of them.
I finished flying Thurs. on which day I had my check ride. It went ok even though it was plenty rough. We didn’t do much low work because there was about a 25 mph. wind but spent most of the time doing spins and stalls. On this check ride the instructor isn’t suppose to do a thing. The hardest thing for me was my landing. The takeoff went ok but coming down I would get about 10′ above the ground and a gust of wind would raise us up again, I finally got it down but I was beginning to wonder about it. They aren’t allowed to show us our grades but he said I did ok and would get a good recomendation )(sic) in flying.
June 28, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Saturday Morning, Page 2
Dad, I got your letter yesterday and thanks alot for the dollar. My stamps were getting low even though I do owe everyone a letter. I have been working on a notebook which we have to turn in for flying this Mon. It is suppose to be pretty complete which will contain all the manuevers (sic) and comments made.
This weekend will be our last pass because next weekend we all have to stay together till we leave.
We have parade in a few minutes which will be our last one here. It is going to be plenty warm. I think all of us sort of hate to leave here even if we wouldn’t admit it but it really hasn’t been so awful bad. I don’t know what they have planned for us next week. I hear we are going to take some hikes and spend alot of the time in the pool. My own opinion is that we will be cleaning the barracks.
Tom and his buddies are struggling with the heat. He’s ready for his final flight check.
Tues. evening
June 23, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
Dear Folks,
Have a few minutes before going to calesthenics. We have them from 7 to 8 P.M. and it is just about the hottest time of day. Believe me Dad you got out of here just in time. It has been 115° and hasn’t been getting any cooler at night. Last night and the night before I got up several times to wash my face and everytime there were a couple of fellows in taking showers. I think I have slept about 2 hrs. in the two nights I certainly hope it gets cooler tonight.
I think we are to leave the weekend of the 3rd. They told us today that we wouldn’t be able to send any more laundry or cleaning and most of us finish our flying this weekend. I have my final check flight either Fri. or Sat. We have been working on stalls and spins the last couple lessons and shot several landings today.
Cleda, I received your letter, I am glad you folks got to go to Decatur and found Grandma so much better. I wrote her several days ago.
June 23, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
I am on the early flight schedule again tomorrow morning. It certainly seems funny going to bed at 9: P.M. when it is still light and getting up at 4: A.M. when it is dark. It mixes everything up for the rest of the day.
When we go to calesthenics tonight we will run around the track a couple of times (½ mile) and then have a few exercises and end the period playing any game you choose such as basketball, baseball, volleyball or tumbling. By the time we get back and shower it’s time for bed.
We have been having a rough time of it today. A couple of the boys left without telling anyone Sun. evening for a short time and things are going pretty tough. Each one of them got 15 gigs and this morning there were 160 gigs given to J+K flights. I got two which gives me four so it is a good thing tomorrow is Wed. or I might be in this weekend.
Well I have to get ready so will close. This is just to let you know whats going on . We all have to have patches on our arms now. We had to get them over the weekend and have them on Mon.
Tom’s about to begin his flying orientation, so he is moved from one dormitory to another. He’s looking forward to the $75 a month flight pay. Tom still hasn’t had a positive confirmation from his Dad that he’s coming out to visit next weekend.
Thurs. night
June 4, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
Dear Folks,
As you can tell from the address I am now in “J” flight. I start flying Mon. which is something to look forward to. There were two from M that were transferred, supposedly it was based on grades so it is some sort of an honor. As soon as we get in our flying time we go on to Santa Anna which means at least by the 1st of July. As soon as we start flying we are placed in “Groups” instead of “flights” I don’t know what my Group number will be but will let you know later. I hope we get to fly in the mornings because its not very rough then, however, you don’t need to worry so very much about running into any rain. One more thing about flying which is different and that is you get $75 a month which won’t be hard to take.
June 4, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
I got a letter from Bob Blizzard today and was really shocked to hear of Mr. Luther’s death. Bob said he wrote you about it, it doesn’t hardly seem possible when he was in such good health. It is too bad he didn’t have a family to be remembered by, but the Fraternity was his family and believe me, there are fellows all over the world that will remember him. I didn’t know what to do, there isn’t anywhere to send a telegram that I know of except to the fraternity.
I have to pack yet tonight, I am suppose to move in the morning. I hope I get in with a bunch of fellows that are as good as these I am with now.
Haven’t heard yet if you are coming this next week end, but remember if you do, call Mrs. Perkins and I will tell her the details. I won’t get off till 3:00 P.M. Sat. we have to run Sat. morning. Her phone is 4-2478.
A new term has started and the students are feeling overwhelmed with classes and study. Tom details his new schedule, and it leaves him and his fellow students tired and sleepy. They believe this intense schedule is designed to wash out some of the students.
We went on a new schedule today which is plenty tough. A half hour of free time during the day (11:00-11:30 AM.). Get up at 5:15, breakfast and clean rooms by 7:00, 7:00-9:00 Physics lab Mon. through Fri., 9:00-10:00 Geography every day, drill 10:00–11:00 everday except Wed. + then we have swimming from 10:00-12:00. English from 1:00-2:00, History from 2:00-3:00, Calesthenics from 3:00-4:30, retreat and dinner; 6:00 to 7:00 everynight Physics lecture, 7:00-8:00 Mon. Wed. + Fri: navigation (the rest have math everynight), study from 8:00 to 10:00. When the Lt. read it off to us yesterday he said it was tougher than any college schedule he had ever seen, he also said the captain had told him we couldn’t do it. (Which is good psychology) It is suppose to get easier after 5 weeks because then I think we will finish History + English but you can’t ever tell. I am afraid I will have to start sending more post cards. I hope you won’t mind. Those two hours of study time at night will be plenty full and if not the sleep will come in handy. It is time for lunch so will have to finish this sometime later.
May 17, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Monday Afternoon, Page 2
(8:30 PM)
If you ever saw a bunch of tired and sleepy kids you should see us and I am no exception. I should be doing English now but it seems that everyone else is either sleeping or just sitting. I really don’t see how it will be possible to keep this up for 5 weeks. We heard tonight that it is going to be used as a method to wash some out. It wouldn’t surprise me any if they don’t. The Profs are pretty understanding but they have to give us some outside work. You can’t tell they are shooting it to us all at once. We might be in the next bunch to leave for pre-flight. Whatever it is I don’t think they are going to leave us at any one place very long. That is O.K. with me.
May 17, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Monday Afternoon, Page 3
We have passes coming this weekend. They will be from 2 PM Sat. till 3:00 PM Sun. that is better than we had figured on. Some of the fellows won’t get to go because of low grades and too many gigs. One fellow we AWOL[1]Absent Without Leave the other night and they are still deciding if they should wash him out or not.
Dad I received your letter this after noon and I can’t see why you didn’t hear from me for a week. I also got a letter from Aunty, Uncle Harold + Jim if you see them tell them I will write them as soon as possible, but that I am pretty busy.
May 17, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Monday Afternoon, Page 4
Well, I have to get started on that English and then get to bed.
It is very hot in Arizona, while there is flooding in Illinois. Tom explains his need for a slide rule that has the Log, Sine, and Tangent scale on it.
Tues. night
May 26, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
Dear Folks,
I hope by this time you are home with out having got washed away several time on the way back. From the tone of things in the newspapers and over the radio just about everything is underwater in Ill. I heard over the radio tonight that there were a million acres in Ill. alone flooded. [1]The May 1943 flood resulted from a series of storms during May 6-24 1943. Early rains May 6-10 in the Kaskaskia and Embarras River basins were followed by widespread rainfall throughout the State. As … Continue readingIt seems like every thing exciting has to happen when I am away. Down here there hasn’t even been a cloud in the sky since I don’t know when. Today was the worse day that we have had so far I am afraid to look at a thermometer so I can’t tell you what the temp. was except that it never got this way at home even in July.
I received your card from “Etels” I wish I could have been there with you but I guess we will have to postpone that date for alittle later.
I also got both of your letters from Chicago but I am going to have to answer them together. About my slide rule that is home. If I remember right that one didn’t have the Log. Sin, Tan. scale on the back which is pretty important now. I will try and find one out here, but if I do want that one I will write you for it.
May 26, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
Dad, I hope everything went alright at the convention. I went over and saw Mr. Allison last Sun. while I was at the Perkins. He is the owner of one of the largest steel plants down here in the S. West.
I guess they don’t know where Warren has been sent to yet, do they?
I hope you received the picture in as good shape as possible. I also sent Grandma and Elaine one that wasn’t colored. Maybe you saw them. Zoe might have got one also.
I am going to have to cut this short because it is five till 10.
The May 1943 flood resulted from a series of storms during May 6-24 1943. Early rains May 6-10 in the Kaskaskia and Embarras River basins were followed by widespread rainfall throughout the State. As much as 7 inches of rain fell during May 16-19 in the lower Illinois Sangamon and Vermilion tributary to the Wabash River River basins. This rain was followed by additional rain between Quincy and Kankakee. Finally, intense local showers during May 23-24 added water to streams already at flood stage throughout central Illinois. Estimated property damage and crop loss was $31 million and about 900,000 acres of cropland were affected. From U.S. Geological Survey, 1955
Some of his classmates are slated to move on to further training, and he is expecting his own move the end of June. His grades have been much better than he had predicted. He’s started providing haircuts to his classmates to earn money so he can have his own hair cut once a week.
Thursday night.
May 21, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
Dear Folks,
I hope I don’t smear this letter too much but it is plenty warm here tonight. From the wound of the floods out there you folks are probably still getting your share at the rain. I wish we had alittle out here. It has only rained twice in 9 weeks.
This have been happening pretty fast here in the last two days. “I” flight which is in our squadron is to start flying Mon. and then they go to Santa Anna for classification in about 2 wks. “L” flight which is just ahead of us start flying June 6th and the rumor is that we will start about the 20th of June and there is a good possibility of us being in Santa Anna by the end of June. Supposedly Santa Anna asked for 240 from here and alot of the flights are getting gyped out of flying: After having thought it over and with all the uncertainty it might be a waste of time and money to come all the way out here. I am certain that I wouldn’t be able to get off any more than just the 25 hrs. on the weekend. However, this is up to you, I would like to see you but there are the practical things that we have to think of.
May 21, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
We got our grades for the first month the other day and I was pretty well pleased. Our Physics and History wouldn’t be included with these. In Navigation and A; Medical Aid an A, Geography a 92 which would probably be an A-; English and 89 which surprised e very much. There were only two A’s given in navigation which made me feel pretty good. Sam is having to take math and is having quite a struggle with it. Trying to help him with it reminds me of the times Hank Clason and I had.
I gave the fellow across the hall a haircut awhile ago. I am getting pretty good. Sam had the clippers and shears but he doesn’t know how to use them. As a result I have been making enough to get my own haircut once a week. Believe me you really have to get it cut once a week or you don’t get your pass. There are so many ways to lose a pass that until you really have it in your hand anything can happen.
I had better close and get to work. Tomorrow is Eng. we have to give a lecture and explain the principles of a machine of any kind. I have choosen (sic) the method of making liquid air. I hope the prof doesn’t know anything about it.
Tom and Sam continue to enjoy their weekend time spent with the Perkins. He invites his parents to come out and visit him in Phoenix before July.
Mon. night
May 11, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
Dear Folks,
I have lost track when I wrote you last. I hope it wasn’t too long ago. I was going to write last night but we had an exam in History today and I as well has 99.9% of the other fellows had only read about 2 pages of the assigned work.
We really had a swell time in Phoenix over the weekend. Mrs. Perkins called me Thurs. to make sure Sam and I were coming. They drove us out Sun. afternoon and had us bring a small radio back that they had in their home. All four of us in the room are getting the full benefit from it. That reminds me Mr. Perkins is going to have the State Engineers magazine sent to you. I am sending you a couple of copies that he gave. In the colored one there are several pictures of places we have seen on trips. The more I see of this country and climate the better I like it even if it is pretty warm.
May 11, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
My flight won the squadron competition and next Sun. we march for the post competition. I am acting corporal. They are short of commissioned officers here so most of it is run by student officers. Flight Lt. wear green arm bands with their flt. no. on them and then squad leaders have to were(sic) the same type bands only black. Our flight really has close order drill down pat. All of us got 2 merits for winning so far and will get more if we win next Sun.
The Perkins and myself think you folks should come out here for a visit. Dad, I don’t (know) how busy you are now but we will probably be here till July so that should give you enough time to decide. I doubt if we can get a leave for at least a year. A 150 pulled out of here for Santa Anna Sat. and a new bunch were suppose to come in today but they haven’t come yet.
May 11, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 3
I have three Navigation prob. to do yet tonight and it is 9:00 now.
Cleda, the canned potatoes were really swell. I don’t think any one in the place had received any thing quite like it. If any of that uses your ration coupons you really shouldn’t do it. Thanks alot.
Tom is in the middle of administrative duties (Charge of Quarters). He had a good weekend with the Perkins, who showed Sam Ashcroft and Tom great kindness and hospitality.
7:00 Mon. night.
May 7, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
Dear Folks,
What a day – I have been C.Q. (charge of quarters) since twelve noon and have till 12 tomorrow noon to go. It is worse than being on guard duty because then you have 4 on and 4 off but here you have 24 on. The duties are various, stay here in the office and answer all phone calls, see that everyone signs in and out, look after the officer’s mail, then at 10: P.M. tuck all the boys in bed and see that they stay there and by the time you get to bed its 12 P.M. Get up at 5 and see to it that everyone is awake and up at 5:15. By tomorrow noon I think I will be ready to resign my job. One nice thing is that you don’t have to go sit through a bunch of dull lectures.
May 7, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
I received your folks letter today and it was good to hear from you. I also got the pills you sent me dad, however, I hope I won’t have the occasion to use them. It has been thundering a little tonight and looks like it might rain. We could use a little, it was 110° while we paraded yesterday afternoon. I guess those salt tablets are the stuff because nobody passed out.
All the rest of the squadron are going to a compulsory training film tonight. I am glad I get out that auditorium isn’t the coolest place in the world.
Cordelia Perkins 1939 (Phoenix Union High School Yearbook)
Now to tell you about the weekend. It was really swell. I called the Perkins last week and they told me to call them when Sam and I got into Phoenix but then Sat. morning Mrs. Perkins called and told us not to plan anything for Sat. night. Anyway she came to pick us up Sat. afternoon and we tried to find a room for that night but there weren’t any to be had. Mrs. Perkins took us out to their home and believe me it is really beautiful. They gave us a room with twin beds adjoining bath in fact it would put the Palmer House to shame.
Mr. Perkins gave us an electric razor to use, P.J.’s to sleep in and to top it off he told us from Sat. noon on his 42 Buick sat in the garage so he put the extra car keys in what he termed our drawer in our room.
Sam made a bit hit with them and they want us to stay there every weekend. She told us Sun. morning that she had ordered extra milk for the weekends. That evening they took us out to the country club and we had a turkey dinner on the lawn and afterwards we went to the show, which they already had reserve tickets for. After we came back from the show we sat up and talked till about 1:30 and it seemed that they enjoyed having us as much as we enjoyed being there but that couldn’t be possible. They showed us were(sic) the keys to the house and garage were so we could come and go as we pleased. Mr. Perkins is like you dad, she said it was really the first time he had enjoyed going to a show. He is with the state engineers and she is head of the Arts Dept. at the Phoenix H.S. it is really a high school something like 6,000 students. Sam and I are trying to figure out someway we can repay them but as yet all they have agreed to do is be our guest at dinner sometime.
May 7, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 4
I sent you $50 there wasn’t any place open that I could get a money order and I hated to carry that much around. Do what ever you think best. If you want to put it in war bonds o.k.
Tom is getting ready for a 25-hour pass into Phoenix, where he has arranged to see the Perkins. This is his first pass.
Fri. morning
April 30, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Card
Dear Folks,
We got paid this morning so we didn’t have drill. I have a few minutes so thought I would drop you a card.
I called the Perkins last night and have made arrangements to see them Sat. after noon. This is my first pass. Sam and I are going in together. We are going to try and get a room and get a good’s night sleep. After a week of this schedule I think all the boys have about decided to spend their 25 hrs. sleeping. Tomorrow morning we have a big time. Calesthenics from 7: to 9:, drill from 9:00 to 10:00, swimming from 10:00-12: and sometime in there we are to GI rooms.
