Dear Dad,

Received your letter today and certainly did enjoy it. Was glad to hear that things were well at home. I am sure things will work out ok.

To tell you about the weekend: We didn’t get in to Los Angeles till about 11:00 PM., went to a show and the only thing open afterwards was a penny arcade so Frank^[1]FrankGoodall, Francis Anthony Goodall survived the war, married, and lived until 2001. He left no children. and I, the boy that went with me, went in and had our pictures taken. Of course this picture wouldn’t meet with the Reverend’s approval but it was the best I was able to do.

I have found out that there is a photographer here on the base so I will send you another one later. We had our squadron picture taken the other day and we can get them in a couple of days. I will send it home, save this picture along with it. From this picture here you can get an idea of what our everyday uniforms look like. A US on the right collar, wings on the left and also on the cap, air corps patch on the left sleeve and a cadet patch on the lower right. There wasn’t a single place to stay in Los Angeles, soldiers were all over the place. I had planned on seeing Aunt Molly Sun. Morning but we had to come back to the base. It takes about 4 hrs. To get to L.A. on the train. It takes so long that you wonder if it is worth the trouble, however, I am still hoping to get to see Aunt Molly. We might get off a little earlier this Sat. Afternoon.

I wrote Cleda last night, you probably saw the clipping I sent about the Gov. and General being here Sun. Afternoon. After guard duty Sun night and only getting 2 hrs. Of sleep I was plenty tired last night so I went to bed at 8:PM. I have really felt a lot better today. I think they have done a pretty good job of getting us all in shape. We will probably have calisthenics everyday for as long a time as we are in the air cops. You have probably heard of our calisthenics instructor he played with Mich. the same year Tommy Hammond^[2]Tom Harmon did, they are real good friends his name is Tibby Lockhart.^[3]Harold “Tippy” Lockhard He told us about getting a letter from Harmony and he is up for court martial. You remember when he was lost down in Africa, well there are two stories I have heard, one is that he bailed out before the rest of the crew and a couple were killed, he was captain of the ship. The other is that he permitted an enlisted man in the plane which is against regulations in combat. I choose to think that the last reason is the right one. This hasn’t been out in the paper yet so it probably isn’t suppose to be the widely known.

We had a test in code this morning at 5 words per min. And I did pretty well. We only had to get 25 letters in a row right and I got 85. When we finish the course we have to be able to take 8 words/min. Which is pretty fast for beginners.

I got the letter from Steve that you forwarded to me. Thanks a lot. Also received a card from Mrs. Oechsner.^[4]Bob Blizzard’s mother

Say I wrote Uncle Harold’s a letter last week and I mentioned to him if he knew if they had any cadet coats and caps at the factory. I was wondering if you might stop in and see Uncle Leslie and see if he could fix me up with a coat and cap. Size 38 regular coat and I think I better have a size 7 1/8 cap. They don’t issue these any more and everyone is getting their own because it is the only dress things that we have. If they can fix me up ok. Let me know how much it is and I will either send the money or you can draw it out of my account. I think the coats run around $35 or $40. They can be changed to an officers coat with just a few changes. I imagine Uncle Leslie knows all about them, it is a regular cadet blouse. The cap is just like an officers only with a blue band and cadet emblem. Let me know about it because I will wait and get my picture taken in it and if not I will borrow someone else’s.

Was glad to hear about Warren and that he got such a lucky break. They don’t come very often in the army.

Well I want to write Elaine’s yet tonight and should study for our last math test which we have tomorrow, but the material isn’t very hard. By the way I had Elaine send Zoe my frat pin. She is graduating around the 4th of Oct. She has had several offers for jobs but I don’t know which she has decided on yet if any. Goodnight –

With love, Tom.

Tues. night

Dear Dad,

After receiving such a swell letter from you today I thought that the studies could come second tonight. Thanks alot for the check but you really didn’t need to do it, we don’t need very much money here, that is while we have to remain on the post. I am glad you like the A/C better than the A/S, personally I do too.^[1]A/C is Aviation Cadet and A/S is Aviation Student. You spoke of this soldier named Richardson, there was a fellow by that name in the squadron I was in in classification (#16). I think he washed out because he didn’t come here with us. Virgil Ethridge is here in Squadron 31 that is the wash out sqd. and is leaving in a couple of days but I don’t believe I will be able to see him. We are quarantined for 5 days and maybe more. One fellow in our sqd. got scarlet fever and they quarantine us for 5 days during which time a Dr. comes over every morning and checks us and if any more cases break out we will be in for another 5 days, etc. We still go on with our regular schedule but on any free time we are not allowed to leave the squadron area and no body else can come into it. We are suppose to get 25 hr. passes in about 3 weeks and if I can’t get in to the photo shop over here I will go to one in Los Angeles. Will see Aunt Mollie then.

1.25 inch portion of bottom of page1  was cut out here.

.75 inch portion of top of page 2 was cut out here.

I am all rested up from the bivouac and even though it was alittle touch I think we all learned a few things that might come in handy someday. We haver wonderful food and good quarters here but they keep the pressure on us about 24 hrs. a day. I heard that there is one officer for every three cadets and I believe it. They are all around the place and ready to hop on you every chance they get. The main thing to remember is to take it all with a grain of salt and not to forget how to laugh. We still live in barracks but I think we get rooms in primary. The barracks aren’t very crowded and they are really pretty nice, two story affairs and everything is in a dull green war paint out here which didn’t make things look very cheerful at first.

We don’t have to worry about personal expenses because they take care of everything, they take out deductions from our pay check for laundry, grass seed and other things that make you wonder what’s going on but you don’t ask many questions. I think I told you the classes we had but in case I didn’t they are Code, Gunnery, Chemical Warfare, math, Naval craft and aircraft identification. We had one of our three tests in math yesterday and we got our grades today, I got a 100 on it, but it was pretty simple. Chemical Warfare ends this week and we start Aerial Photography Math ends in two weeks and we start Physics so you can see that the courses are really condensed. We are through studying and field stripping the 50 cal. machine gun and are starting on the Thompson sub. We will go on the range with all of them in a few weeks. With 8 of these 50 cal. in the wings of a plane you can see why the Zero’s are being stopped. It is really…

.75 inch portion of top of the back side of page 2 was cut out here.

…having my most trouble in learning to identify all of the ships in our navy. We don’t fly any while here in pre-flight but start that in primary, where we go through the washing machine again. They say about 30% wash out there. The changes in our everyday uniform is that we wear wings and U.S.’s on our collars and wings on our caps. We ha en’t received our dress caps with the regular cadet insignia but turned in our head size today. They are regular officer hats with propeller and wings instead of the spread eagle. We really have fancy gig tags now, they are specially made with our name, air corps insignia and our pictures on them.

This is the longest letter I have written in ages and I have to shave and study alittle yet tonight. The package you sent is here in the post office but I can’t get it till tomorrow, thanks alot for sending it. Now it is time to sign off.

With love,

Tom

Dear Dad,

I have been meaning to write you a personal letter for sometime now but there has been a scarcity of free time around here. This afternoon we had a lecture and a couple of movies on pressure chamber and high altitude flying.

This is a fairly new procedure by giving us pressure chamber flights all through our training and further classifying you as a high, medium or low altitude pilot. They are blaming most of these unaccounted for crashes on faulty oxygen equipment and its use. From what they were telling us some very amusing things occur in the chamber, we must be able to stand 10 min. at 18,000 (feet) without O2. Then you put on masks and go up to 38,000 for an hour, he said that about all of us would get the bends during this time, some bad enough that they would have to come down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTSSTA9VAb0

Y

our letters have been coming good and regular and they are really swell to get. You spoke of Allen Lake being a navigator, they have a little shorter training period than pilots. Alot of the flying crew are being made flight officers rather than 2nd Lt. now. There isn’t much difference, the pay and uniform are the same.

I was surprised about what Sam did with the car.^[1]I don’t know what Sam did to any car. He is here at SAAAB but from what I hear has been in the hospital ever since he came.

I saw Bob Compton again the other day and he can’t get in the specialized training program. He has about three other choices and ones as bad as the other, they are, armament gunner, engineer gunner, and regular gunner. You can tell who the boys are that are getting knocked off and they are also three good reasons why not to wash out.

I got a letter from Cleda yesterday and she said that she was going to have Mrs. Perkins for a meal. If she doesn’t I think you should tell Mrs. P. the reason and I know she would understand. I was hoping that you would have her for a meal while she was there. I am sure everything will go well while Elaine’s are there.

I am glad you received the picture I was sort of worried about it because Phoenix is a good ways from here to do anything about it.

We start out Sun. on our bivouac and return Fri. from what I hear it isn’t all peaches and cream. As a matter of fact our menu will be K rations. I don’t know in what kind of shape we will be in to start pilot school Sat. morning.

The Lt. told us tonight that our orders officially came through making us all cadets on the 30th of this month. That extra $25 won’t be hard to take. I have about $50 on hand here also will be paid an extra $25 at the end of this month for back flight pay from Tempe as well as our regular $50 for July. I might send some home but I want to get some travelers checks to keep on hand.

Here’s hoping you have a nice visit with the folks and tell them all hello.

With love,

Tom

Dear Dad,

Received your card when I got back from the field, this morning. It was really swell and I am sorry I can’t get away to send you something but I guess this letter along with the dinner we had last Sat. night will have to do for my Father’s Day Greetings. Happy Father’s Day and I will be thinking of you.

I took my check ride yesterday and did pretty well according to the instructor, however, I had done alot better but it was a different plane and the pressure was on. We had alittle excitement this morning, the plane that took off just in front of us lost a wheel on the takeoff after it got about 30 ft. in the air. We signaled to them and landed. The student in it lives right across the hall from me. They had everything out on the field, two crash trucks, fire engine and the captain made record breaking time in coming from Tempe. It was really a thrill to watch the fellow land and he really did a good job. However when the axle touched the ground the plane flopped over on its back and mashed the wing and tail but neither the instructor or student were hurt. They took the boy to William’s Field for a complete physical right away which they do in all cases to clear the government at a later date. The fellow seemed quite happy about the whole thing and I guess it was good experience because you won’t always have an instructor sitting with you. They said this was the first accident they have had at the field for ages and that is really a good record considering all the planes coming in there. I would hate to think of the wrecks they would have had with the same number of cars in the same place. I wouldn’t tell you this if I thought it would worry you but you know enough about accidents to know that they happen other places than in the air. As for myself I feel safer in that plane than I do anywhere else.

I was really glad to hear that Grandma was better. She certainly is a remarkable woman. I feel awfully guilty having not written her lately but will try to get a letter off to her this afternoon.

Your train was really late I hope it didn’t put you too far behind in your plans.

If you get a chance tell Uncle Leslie I received his letter and will write him soon.

You got out of this country just in time because it has really been hot the past couple of days.

I didn’t get any more gigs so I get my pass this weekend. All you have to do is watch your step and you won’t get any except mayve a couple for a dirty room.

I have a C.A.R. class in a few minutes so will close –

With love,

Tom

Sun. night.

Dear Dad,

I forgot to give you this so am sending it.^[1]No indication of what it was he forgot to give to his father, and that he’s sending it now.

We have a compulsory training film in a few minutes. It was really swell seeing you even if it was for just a short time. I hope you feel your visit was worth the time and money and also that you are satisfied with the set up here.

I hope your trip back was O.K. and that you were able to get a berth. Let me know how Grandma is.

Love, Tom

Dear Dad,

Received your letter just awhile ago when I got back from pass. They had my mail mixed up but seems to be straightened now. It was really good to hear that you would be here next weekend. I sent you a telegram from the Perkins today. I don’t know just what to tell you to wear. Just about all you see are soldiers but I haven’t seen any seersucker worn by civilians yet so I would suggest just light clothes. Don’t forget to get in touch with Mrs. Perkins when you get in because she will know what to do.

As for my self I will have alot to tell you and it is a good thing you are coming now instead of later. I don’t think I will be here much longer than 3 weeks. I start flying at 6:30 tomorrow morning and fly four hours one week and five the next and keep that schedule up till we go to Santa Anna. You can see if we are only to get in 10 hrs. of flying we won’t be here very long. There are alot of bull sessions tonight. Everyone is trying to decide if they are going to like flying. This new bunch of boys I am with are pretty nice all all very athletic. One holds the middle weight championship and all of them would rather box than eat. From the looks of our schedule on the board it seems pretty easy. We only have about 2 periods of calesthenics + drill a week. However, on the days we fly we will be at the field all morning. On a couple of mornings we fly at 5:30 which means getting up at 4:00. If you see Roscoe Taylor you might tell  him that I will write him after I get in a few hours and let him know how it is. Tell him we are training here in “Interstates.” ^[1]A Roscoe Taylor lived in Greenville, Illinois and was listed in the 1930 Federal Census. I don’t know of his connection with Tom.

They keep telling us not to say anything about fellows being shipped till after they have gone. Anyway 200 left last night, flights G, H, + I. The next letter to I is J.

There is only one thing I want you to bring and that is my fountain pen, the one Mrs. Oneal gave me. I hope you can read this its my roommates pen.

Thanks alot for the book and N.U. ^[2]Northwestern Universitymagazine. I have alittle time to read now. I will try to get permission for you to see my room, but I know you can see downstairs.

I am looking forward to next weekend, see you then.

Love, Tom

Dear Dad,

It is almost bed time but wanted to get a note off to you tonight.

It rained here last night so you can imagine how nice and sultry it has been today. As I told you in my last letter which I wrote yesterday, I was suppose to get everyone up at 5:15 this morning but I didn’t wake up till fifteen till six. As a result 200 fellows over slept, but I also made 200 very good friends. The sarge didn’t like it so well but he was very considerate and only gave me one gig. Thank God for that, however, it wasn’t my fault because the switch board operator was suppose to get me up and I guess he over slept also. There isn’t an alarm clock in the whole squadron, not that that would have done me any good.

As you see I am enclosing 5 dollars. Mother’s Day is this Sun. and there isn’t anyway that I can get out of here long enough to even get a coke let alone anything to send home. I wish you would take this and get some flowers for Moms grave and also get Cleda either some flowers or candy. Whatever you think best. I am enclosing a little note to put this Cleda’s.

I have been studying navigation since I got back from my last class tonight. We have a test in it tomorrow and I haven’t had a chance to do much more than just the daily lessons i it so far.

I told you all about the swell weekend in my other letter. They told us today that they thought that this coming weekend would be our last over night passes. I hope that tuns out to be false, because a goods night sleep once a week isn’t hard to take.

I hope you got the fifty I sent. It bothered me keeping it around here all the time and by the time we get off Sat. afternoon all the post offices are closed so thats why I sent it telegraph. I kept about thirty five in cash so I will have plenty till next pay day.

I don’t have much time before taps and I want to shave yet. There is never enough time the morning to shave and that is one thing that they will gig you one every chance that they get.

Love, Tom

Dear Dad,

Waited till today before I answered your letter to try and find out alittle more about your coming out here. The Perkins said you can get a Southern Pacific train out of St. Louis that take you direct to Phoenix in about 36 hours. Gets in here sometime in the morning. I think your best bet would be to come the 12th of June if possible. Because we don’t know how long we will be here and it is rumored that civilian travel is going to be curtailed. It will be good to see you and I hope the trip won’t put you too far behind in your work. Let me know when you are coming as soon as possible. When you arrive in Phoenix Mrs. Perkins said for you to call them from the station. I don’t think I will be able to get off until 2:00 P.M. Sat., but you can use their car. Tempe is only about 8 mi. Their number is 4-2478.

We have stayed at their home every weekend so far, but we don’t know for how much longer we will get overnight passes.

I am going to have to close, we have parade in a few minutes. This is mainly to let you know about coming out. Let me know of your plans as soon as you are certain.

Love, Tom

I’ll write again in a day or two. I got Cleda’s letter and will answer it soon.

Dear Dad,

This is the first night this week that I haven’t had alot to do so I though you might enjoy a letter. I received your letter yesterday. I want to thank you for taking car (sic) of the easter flowers for me. I guess you enjoyed your trip to Chicago and found everything ok. Has Karen changed much?

There is something that I would like for you to try and get me. That is a slide rule. I have looked around and all I could find are the cheap ones. They issued us one that I think all together cost the government 8⊄and it is pretty slow to use and not very accurate. With all this Physics and Navigation I have been living with this one they gave us. That reminds me I got a 100 on the Physics exam that we had. I think I have the highest average in the class in there. I don’t know if the courses are eaiser (sic) are if it is more up my line but they don’t seem to be giving me much trouble.

To get back to the slide rule; I will be sending you some more money in a short time I think so you can take the cost of it out of there. I don’t know exactly how much they cost but I think around ten dollars. If you can get one for alittle less than that, that is good, go ahead.

You asked if I wanted to go back to school. I doubt very much if it would be possible and I think I am better off here. I like it alot even if it is pretty rough but I guess the harder anything is to get the better it is. Supposedly if we wash out after going through this schooling we will get to go to OCS.^[1]OCS=Officer Candidate School I think I have been pretty lucky and this training here isn’t doing any of any harm even if we do complain alot.

Our flight preforms (sic) this Sun. during the parade so every spare moment that we have we have been practicing our monkey drill. We really have a pretty nice marching outfit even if I do say so myself, however, most of us have been together ever since we first gotin the army.

I wold like to get to be alittle early tonight so had better close.

Love, Tom

Dear Dad,

Received your letter yesterday, it was good to hear from you.

To answer a few of your questions: He didn’t pull any teeth he wants to let the upper wisdoms grow out alittle more and then pull it. He filled a small cavity in about 5 min. but seemed to do a good job. I am going to send you a money order in a week or two, we are due to get our April pay soon. I don’t know if they are planning on making navigators out of some of us or not. Even if they do a navigator goes through a complete flying course. It is necessary now for every man on the plane to know how to fly. I don’t think taking this navigation means much because the cadets that I have talked to say that a pilot needs to know alot of navigation but a navigator needs to know a hell of a lot, so there isn’t much difference.

Those pills you sent seemed to take care of my trouble. I didn’t take but one of the capsules. I have just one of those others left. I haven’t had to take any lately and when I did take them I just took 1/2 at a time. Sometime if you get a chance you might send some more of the pills (not capsules) just in case.^[1]Sometime after receiving this letter, Dr. Cartmell had drawn a line through this paragraph, and did not include it in his own transcription of the letter.

This morning we started at  7:00 to G.I. the place (that is cleaning) we finished just alittle while ago. At 1:00 o’clock we have drill and then at 3:00 P.M. we have to run 3 miles. We ran 2 miles the other day and the coach says we should be able to do 3 today. The coach was the football coach here and he is really set on running. I wouldn’t be abit surprised if there aren’t some fellows that get out of here with enlarged hearts. Is that possible to get that from running? Alot of us have been wondering.

We are starting to live on salt pills now, been taking about 3 a day. I hate to think how many we will be taking when it hits about 120°. The first one I took made me sick but since then haven’t been bothered with them.

Start taking Physics Mon. just completed medical aid and military indoctrination.

They flooded the whole campus again and it looks like a lake outside our window.^[2]Tempe, Arizona is adjacent to the Salt River, which also runs through Phoenix. Large land areas are sometimes intentionally flooded, using the river as the ultimate source, in order to irrigate and … Continue reading

All the other squadrons have passes this weekend. They were here before us, so we are here all alone. The only good thing about it is that we get all we want to eat. The worse thing is that we have to run the three miles which the rest get out of it.

I hope you folks had a good Easter. I got a letter from Elaine and she said that Stan had alot of eggs to fix Sun. morning. This will be the first year that I haven’t fixed any. Last year when Steve and I helped fix them I didn’t have any idea I would be here one yr. from then. Maybe next year we can color some. That maybe sounds awful big. However, things do look better for us in the war. What did you think about Doolittle taking off from a carrier in B25’s? It was too bad about the fliers that were forced down. When this war is over I don’t think there should be any question about what to do with the ones that were the instigators of their death.

Had better close and get ready for drill.

With love,

Tom