Dear Folks,

Just returned from the line and I received Dad’s letter and Karen’s package today noon. Give Karen two big kisses for me, one for the swell Valentine and another to get well on. I certainly hope she is entirely better by now. Dad said in his letter that her temp. was down to normal. I am going to try and call you folks in a couple of days. Will try to get a call through to Dad’s hotel but will send a telegram ahead of time saying when I will call. Would like to talk to you too if you could be there then but don’t know how that could be worked out, will just have to wait and see.

This letter is also for Dad because I don’t have time to write two. It hasn’t taken him long to get places up there, Chicago Medical Asso., on the staff of the Mercy Hospital. I am glad he is liking it all the more.

We have just about finished our transitional flying and start formation Wed. We get everything from three to 12 ship formations and also one high altitude formation at about 20,000 ft. You have to use oxygen from 10,000 up. At 30,000′ you have to breath pure oxygen. We are getting lectures on O2 in ground school here, it is really very interesting. Will tell you more about it in April. They say it is really pretty hard to fly formation up there because of the thinness and sluggishness of the plane. Will know more of that in a couple of weeks.

This morning we shot skeet for two hours and consequently have a sore shoulder tonight. We get at least 8hrs. of this and probably more, it is suppose to improve your shooting eye and when it comes to leading the target has a correlation with aerial gunnery. It is alot of fun and it is good instruction. Have an old captain down there who was the national champ and he can bust the clay birds by shooting from the hip.

Well I want to get a shower before bedtime so will have to close. Hope to get to talk to you in a few days. It is about time we are getting a day off, we have been here just about 2 weeks.

Goodnight –

With love,

Tom