Dad Graduation on 15th. Letter sent

Tom

Dear Dad,

I’m really sorry that I haven’t been able to write sooner, but last night was the first nights sleep that I had had for four days. We finished one of our night flights and in 4 nights I flew 16 hrs. plus some instrument flying in the afternoon. We would finish at 6:00 AM and got to sleep till 10:00 or 11:00, however I am not near as tired as I should be. The night flying was really interesting and we took four night cross countries. The last one was over to Blythe, then down to Yuma and back to Luke. The thing I am the most pleased with is the fact that I passed my instrument check the other afternoon. I didn’t think I ever felt so relieved. It is really a comfort to know that you have the ability to turn in on the beam and get back to Phoenix. In fact that is how I came back from Yuma. Fri. I flew a total of 8 hrs + 50 min. logged time. Of course you are not suppose to fly more than 3 hours a day during your cadet training, but alot of rules are broken. I made better landings at night than I did in the day. Maybe it is because you are a little more on your toes.

Now to get around to the main purpose of this letter. The West Coast Command has changed our graduation date to the 15th  instead of the 13th. We had heard rumors of it yesterday and they told us definitely this morning. We will graduate the 15th + clear the post the 17th.

I have reservations on the plane, but it would cost me $179.00 and would get me there on Tues. morning. The train gets me there Wed. noon and am at least certain of those reservations so I think I will plan on the train and cancel my plane reservations in a few days. Let me know if this new set up will work out OK. I think there is a S.P.^[1]Southern Pacific train out on the morning of the 16th which will get you in a day ahead of me. Will be waiting to hear from you.

Tell Cleda I am going to try and write her tomorrow night but I haven’t been able to write any one lately.

Also tell Elaine that I receiver her letter  and the N.U. paper. Tell Elaine not to go to alot of trouble or anything like that while I am there. I am not use to it and it isn’t necessary and I don’t want her to get worn out.

We go to Gila Bend in about 10 days for gunnery but just write me here and they will bring our mail down.

Well Dad it is almost dinner time so had better sign off. You must have had your fingers crossed for me on my instrument check. I hope I didn’t use all my luck up on that one thing.

I certainly hope this change doesn’t interrupt your folks plans.

Love,

Tom

Dear Dad + the folks at 828^[1]Elaine, Stanley and Karen are living at this address.

It seems like I have really neglected you lately. We have been flying instruments the last 5 days, and I am just about done in. This is the first time that any part of my flying has had me worried. The instructor that I have hasn’t passed any one of his students in the last two classes, consequently I have been sweating out the last 5 days, and still am as far as that goes. We are suppose to start night flying tomorrow night. I still have any instrument check to pass which has me plenty worried. I was suppose to get it today, but the ceiling was 0 all morning so no one got off, now I don’t know when I’ll get the check. If I am going to be held over a class I would like to know about it. I’ll let you know how things turn out as soon as possible because if I get through that there isn’t much to worry about. Our night flying consists of a couple night cross country’s and different landing stages, such as as black out landings, and other landings using different type lighting effects. I don’t know how these things will be landing at night, they are bad enough in the daytime.

Dad I received your letter today and was really glad to hear that you and Cleda were coming out. I am certainly hoping that everything goes right here so you won’t have to change your plans. I’ll do my best to keep that from happening. You will arrive here Apr. 12th. I don’t know just how much time I will get to spend with you here, but I doubt if it will be very much. We are scheduled to go to Gila Bend for gunnery on the 29th + and will return the 8th of April so when we return, they will probably keep us pretty busy getting ready for graduation. Anyway I think you will like the graduation and should be with worth seeing. From what I just heard we get off the night before graduation so I guess we can be together.

It really sounds like you, Bill + the other boy had a time. I can imagine Bill’s breakfast because he was the Chief Cook on all our fishing parties. I am really glad you had them, because I imagine they really enjoyed it, and alittle change like that means alot to all us fellows. Wish I could have been there.

Elaine + Stan, I received your letter of the 8th and really enjoyed it. Glad the cards were practical. I am afraid that you will have to explain the game of bridge all over to me. From all the descriptions of Karen that I have been receiving I will really be surprised, I can’t imagine her running around and eating by herself. When I last see her, you were feeding her some kind of eggs, orange juice, oatmeal + several other mixtures. Half of this had to be caught from the chin and tried over again. By the way you never did tell me when the new addition was to arrive.

I am really surprised at about Benell + Gene. She is the one that he went with so long.

Stan you hit it right, you get mixed up everyonce in awhile in night flying as to the stars being lights on the ground or vice-versa. That’s when instruments come in handy,  In basic training that is probably the biggest danger because you don’t know just what if all those dials are for.

Well the night is passing so I had better sign off. Will make your hotel reservation and keep your fingers crossed for me the next 30 days.

Goodnight

With love

Tom

Dear Folks,

Pardon the pencil but I am down at the flight line and haven’t a pen. I didn’t fly this afternoon, we were suppose to take the high altitude cross country but they couldn’t get enough planes. Will probably take it tomorrow, it is to Yuma, Blythe and back to Luke at 18,000 ft. We had our high altitude formation flight yesterday, you would really be surprised to see how much different the plane acts up there. We had a rat race coming down and it is really nice to have so much sky to play around in.

We are suppose to start instruments the day after tomorrow. From all reports they are going to be plenty rough, several of the fellows in the other squadrons that have already had them have either been washed back a class or else washed out completely depending on their check ride. To pass the course you have to pass your 50-3 which gives you an instrument rating. I have about 7 hrs. in the link trainer but would like to get some more before starting on the real thing it would probably make things much less confusing.

Elaine, I am really sorry I didn’t get to talk to you Sat. night. We found out at 5:00 PM that we would get open post that night and just as I was leaving they gave me the phone message that you had called. By the time the bus got to Phoenix it was 9:45 and I had a date for 9:00, had I known you were there waiting I would have called then. I felt like kicking myself. I sent you alittle something for your birthday. If it hasn’t come yet let me know.

I received a letter from Mary Beth Schwartz today. She said she had called you to get my address, I owe her about two letters which isn’t too bad considering all the other letter I owe. She said that you said Karen had Tom’s blue eyes, I consider that a compliment but I am afraid they are almost green now. How is Karen and has she gained all her weight back?

Listen “Paw-Paw” Cartmell you are going to have to take a back seat when Uncle Tom is there as far as Karen is concerned.

I wasn’t able to find out anything about a train schedule for you. We have to make all our train reservations through the red cross. I went out to see about plane reservations and there seems like a pretty good chance of getting them on the morning of the 15th. I will make reservations for both the plane and train and will cancel the train if the other works out.

Dad, you and Cleda could plan on going back on the evening of the 13th. You could check with the trains and I’d put a bid in early and try to get a pullman compartment. If I don’t make it then you can cancel it. Let me know what you find out.

Will have to sign off for now, “Roger and Out.”

Love,

Tom

Dear Dad,

Well we finally got a few hours off. Yesterday they let us off from 10:00 A.M. till 8:00 PM. I was going to call you had it been an over night pass but it didn’t work out. When we do get off over night I am going to call you. Ernie and I went in and saw the Perk’s and they had us for lunch, we really had a swell time and it was a change which helped alot. Mr. Perkins got an advancement and is just about at the top of the state engineers.

Long John was flying but got to talk to him over the phone. He said he had received a swell letter from you and wanted me to give you his regards and said that he would write when things let up alittle.

Say Dad, you mentioned something about you and Cleda coming out here. It would really be swell and I was wondering if you had thought of coming out for graduation in April. You said that Cleda could come out alittle early, that would be OK but I doubt if we get off very much, because you see we are suppose to get one day off every eight days but that usually isn’t the case, it is more like every 16 days. You can be thinking about this, I was going to send you an announcement anyway so there isn’t any rush in deciding. Don’t plan on too much because they are still washing boys out and I am no exception.

Today we started formation flying and it is alot different here than in basic. A period of formation here usually ends up in a rat race, and after 15 min of that you would really think you have been through a dog fight. All a rat race is, is where you follow your instructor and try to keep on his tail. It usually ends in a “luftberry” circle which is seeing who can turn tighter than the other. It is a circle where you put down all your flaps, wheels, and if necessary hang your feet out the cockpit if it helps to keep you from stalling out.

I was glad to hear that Karen was so much better and back home. Tell Elaines’ that I received their letter and will answer it before too long. Give them all my love.

I also got a letter from Zoe and she said she had called you and that you seemed to be enjoying your work alot. She had been sick and was going home this last weekend. Bill VanMeter had also been to see her. How did you and Bill make out? How does he like it in Chicago and his new work? He could probably tell you all about the planes I have been flying.

Say, ask Elaine what she wants for her last weeks Birthday? Yesterday was Washington’s Day so all the stores were closed in Phoenix and I don’t have much of an idea what she wants, jewerly or what?

Well Dad it is 9:00 and 5:00 comes awful fast so had better close and get in some sack time. Goodnight –

With love,

Tom

By golly I am really ashamed of myself for not having written sooner. I have been trying to write for the last few nights, but last night we had to go to a basket ball game and the night before that we all had to go to another Malaria lecture. The only time that we have to write is between 7-9 pm., because at least, for the 1st 4 or five weeks our schedule is plenty full.

I guess I will start from the beginning and tell you just what have been doing here, but I first want to thank you for the box you sent I received it to day and was it swell, none of the cookies were broken and just about all of my favorites were there. I dont see where you found any time to do any baking but I am glad you did, thanks alot.

The day after we arrived here we were in the saddle. We get up at 5 am go to the flight line at 7 am and stay until 12,30 eat at 1 In ground school from 2 until 5pm PT 5 until 6-30 and finally get to eat supper, taps at 9.

I got to solo out in these A T 6s three days ago, I have 13 hrs in it now. They are really a swell plane and you can do anything with them, they mount 3 -30 cal guns machine-guns and can also carry about 10-30 lbs of fragmentation bonds, they handle nice in the air but are tricky on landings. the reason is that the wheeles are set so clos together, that when you land the plane wants to swing around. this is known as a ground loop and really means a mashed wing and a bent propellor as well as catching heck from the Major. so far I have been lucky, but alot of the fellows have not but I guess when you figure a prop. costs a couple thousand dollars being wrecked you cant just pass it over. about all we are doing now is just flying and getting the feel of the plane. Monday we start formation flying we get 14 hours of this, then night flying; flying cross crounties and acrobatics which means we will have 80 hrs here in the plane when we finish. My instructor is a plenty good Joe, he only received his wings about 2 mos ago so he has not had time to get rough. All of us here ordered our uniforms and if every thing goes O K we will be officers on Apr the 13. We still have alot to go through but if my luck holds out I should be O K.

Oh yes you remember reading “GOD IS MY CO PILATE” by COL SCOTT I got to see him and look all through his plane yesterday, He landed here at the field. His plane is a P 40 with a sharks head pained upon it with 13 Jap flags on the side with his name below them. I did not see him until i was taxing out to take off when he taxied by me. I guess he is about one of the best fighter pilotes we have. When we came here our barracks bags got lost and just arrived Wed, we have been wearing the same clothes for a week and two days included in the 9 days were 2 days on the train. We really had a time washing our socks and underwear at night and hoping they would dry by morning however everything is back to normal now with every one looking 100% better. here I have written a whole letter and have not even thanked you for your valentine, thanks a million it certainly seems that I have an awful lot to thank you for, not only seems so but I have___________Good night,

Tom.

Dear Dad,

Just got back from supper and spent the afternoon on the flt. line. I think I have just about got these AT’s figured out however, we can’t solo them till we have had 4 hrs. dual and I only have 2:45 now. They are really a sweet little plane and they handle alot like the Stearman especially on the landing that is they will ground loop plenty easy. Alot of them have guns in them, that is one 30 cal. firing through the prop arc and then one in each wing. Up until the P40 they were our first line combat planes and are still used by the South Americans. There is alot more proceedure on them and that is the main part to this part of the training, they have retractable wheels, a Hamilton constant speed prop and hydraulic operated flaps.

It is really a job to remember to do everything and also in order, but it has to be done because they say it is embarassing to land with your wheels up. They have had alot of cases where fellows after landing reach down to pull their flaps up and get the wrong control and pull their wheels up instead. An example of what we have to go through on a take off: as soon as the plane leaves the ground you throttle back to 30 in. of Hg. on your manifold pressure guage, pull your prop control back so that you have 2,000 RPM’s, push power button, then retract landing gear, keep air speed at 110 MPH, lean out mixture control and switch gas tanks. The landing procedure is even worse. However, I have a good instructor and I don’t think he would be surprised at anything we did. These things really wind up in a spin and we are not suppose to start a spin at below 10,000 ft. Yesterday we did a couple and when we pulled out we were going 240 MPH. and he just about blacked me out on the pulled out, it is quite a sensation.

Dad, I received the box of candy and also the card, they were both really swell and, oh yes, also thanks for the air mails. You have sent me so much stuff I can’t keep track of it all. I like your business card and am glad you sent me one. The card “To my son” was really swell and thanks alot.

I ordered my officers uniform through the PX the other day. They told us all to put the order in now so that we would be sure and get them for graduation. I ordered just the min. here so I can get the rest from the factory.^[1]DeMoulin Brothers factory engaged during the war in manufacturing military uniforms. Tom’s grandfather had been one of the DeMoulin Brothers, and Tom’s uncle, Leslie DeMoulin was the … Continue reading Here’s what I had to get:

We are given a clothing allowance of $250.00 when we graduate so this will leave me with alittle extra but from what I hear that goes fast. They say you can spend $1,000.00 on a wardrobe and still need more. I hope I am not counting my chickens before they are hatched but if you wash out it doesn’t cost you anything. I am hoping to get a 2nd Lt. but they are making alot more Flt. officers. The F.O. wears the same uniform with a different insignia, they have a blue bar with a gold stripe down the middle. The pay is just about the same but all the fellows want to be 2nd Lts. We will all know on April 13th because that is our graduation date unless some of us get held over a month on instrument flying or some other phase of flying.

Well Dad, I am going to get to be and tell Elaine that I am goin to try and write them tomorrow night. Tell them I received their letter today and also tell Elaine I’ll be thinking of her on the 16th and that my remembrance might be alittle late. You can give her my birthday kiss.

My letters will probably be alittle lacking for the next two or three weeks but the schedule is plenty tight from 5:00 AM till 7:00 PM and sometimes a lecture at night.

Goodnight –

With love,

Tom

Put Box no. in my address from now on. We just got them.

Dear Dad + the folks at 828,^[1]“the folks at 828” means his sister, Elaine, her husband Stanley, and their daughter, Karen, who lived at 828 Lakeside Place in Chicago.

I am going to have to combine this letter because I won’t have time to write two. We arrived yesterday about noon and we were kept going till 9:00 P.M. and then they got us up at 4:30 A.M. They haven’t wasted much time. We go to ground school in a few minutes and then get another 6-4 physical exam this afternoon, it is the same as we got at Santa Ana. Start flying tomorrow, the way they have it arranged now I am in a standard squadron, which means if I stay in this I’ll probably end up as an instructor or in air transport command. I am going to try to get out of it but you can’t do an awful lot.

From all reports these AT6’s are plenty nice planes and really a pilots plane, but I’ll know more about that in a few days. They washed several of the fellows in C class out because they had trouble landing them so I imagine I’ll do some worrying over that. They have just about every kind of a plane there is here on the field, P40’s, P51’s, P38’s, A20’s, P70’s, AT17’s, etc.

Our barracks bags were suppose to have been on the train with us but when we arrived there weren’t any bags. From the latest reports they went to La Juanta, Colo., therefore we haven’t any clothes or anything with us.

I am going to have to close, will let you know more later. So long –

With love,

Tom

Tues. night.

Dear Dad,

Well we are finishing up here, I don’t know when we will leave as yet but it will be pretty soon. According to the orders I will be going to Luke Field. I am going to have a regular path between Arizona and California pretty soon. I mentioned in Elaine’s letter a check ride that they sprung on our whole squadron. I made it OK. I went up with a Capt. and he took his dog along. I expected the dog to get sick after a couple of stalls but there he was running up and down in the bottom of the plane. He was about the size of old spot. The only thing the Capt. had to say was that I didn’t use the trim tabs enough. You said in your letter that you Elaine + Karen had driven out to the airport and watched some of the air liners come in. The planes you saw were probably DC-3’s, the army has alot of them known as the C47’s. They are the same plane except the army uses them for cargo. From the sound of things you and Karen must really be hitting it off. Elaine said that she really like to go riding.

We had a talk today from a Capt. who was back here resting up. He was squadron commander of a squadron of B25’s under General Chennault in China. It was really interesting and gave us an idea of what we could expect. He was strictly a medium bombardment man but he still had alot of respect for the pea shooters, especially the P40’s. Most of the class here is going into bombardment, in fact very few of us are going to Luke. I imagine by this time next week we will be there. From the rumors that have been going around everyone things that most fo our class will be made flight officers rather than 2nd Lts., that remains to be seen. From all reports our training in advance will be alot of crosscountries, (day + night), formation, and then we go to Gila Bend for a course in gunnery. I think they use the AT6’s with a few 30 cal. and then we get around 10 hrs. in a P40 or some other combat plane.

We had sort of thought we might get a couple of days off, but it looks hopeless now. I was planning on going to L.A. and see Aunt Molly.

Well enough for now, you can continue to write me here because they will forward the mail on pretty fast.

Goodnight –

With love,

Tom

Dear Dad,

Jest time for a short note before bed. I want to thank you for the envelopes, I think I like the large ones better than the small. I am glad you received the picture and the one you liked the best.

I finished up my flying for basic today. I got alittle over my required no. of hours. All together I have 150 hours, my log book is gradually filling up. However, I still feel as if I know very little about flying. I guess it is a pretty good thing because they say as soon as you are no longer afraid or feel that you know it all is when you bust your fanny. I don’t know what they are going to do with us because we still have a couple of weeks here with nothing to do. We have been hearing rumors that we will get a three day pass. If so I plan on going to L.A. and visit Aunt Molly. We have been getting more sack time (sleep) lately but still everyone is tired. I guess it grows on you after awhile.

Say, I have been noticing all the things your hotel has in it by the stationary. When April comes and if we really do get a leave I know where I can keep in condition. You haven’t spent any time in the gym have you?

I wanted to ask you about how you wanted me to fix your address in case the army wanted to reach you. I think I could just tell them in the tactical office and give them the hotel address as temporary, because it is a pretty big job to get it changed on all your papers and also have your dog tags changed. Let me know because I didn’t know for just how long you were planning on keeping your present address.

Well it is about bed time so had better close. Tell the folks hello.

With love,

Tom