6-30-44.
Dear Folks,
Well I think some of that Chicago heat has finally reached California. It has really turned warm here the last few days, however, the nights still cool off alittle.
I have received all of your letters and have been going to answer them for some time. However, we have been having to fly co-pilot time for an other squadron trying to get them finished up. Last night I didn’t fly but the bugs were so bad in the room that I couldn’t have the light on. I don’t know what happened to the little fellows tonight. I finished with my flying Tues. and it was really a relief.
Mort’s girl and the girl I had a date with last week while at Mort’s are both coming to Sacramento tomorrow afternoon. We are going to eat out here at the officer’s mess mess and go to a dance at the club in the evening. We can swim out here Sun. and we’ll probably go back with them Sun. evening. I think we might get a couple days off next week or else alittle extension in travel time to Salinas.
(Sat. afternoon)
Have a few minutes before going to the line, but we just found out this morning that we are going to Lemoore from here. I knew it hadn’t been a basic school for some time. We will be the first night fighter class to go in there. It is also a replacement center for bombardment groups. I’ll probably go down there next Sat. I think we are to be there about a month. From what I hear the heat is plenty bad down there but aside from that the living conditions should be tops. One good thing is that the flying area will be plenty familiar. It will seem funny going back to the same school that you trained at before. Most of our training there is on instruments and we get about 30 hrs. in the A20. We won’t get our crew there. Most of our flying will be at night and will start learning night combat tactics. From the latest reports most of us will probably get to fly either P38’s or the British Mosquito when we go across. The P61 isn’t proving any too good and the A20s or (P70s) have been taken out of the combat areas. If we do get 38’s it will us on our own all the more as you are the only person in the plane and just about all night operations are single plane affairs anyway. The P38 or Mosquito are both nice planes and from all reports the Mosquito is the fastest thing in the air even if they are made of wood.
Dad about that money, just whatever you think best is OK. with me.
By the way I sent you a couple Bonds that you can keep for me. Elaine, I also sent Karen and Tommy something for their birthdays. The address on it was 838 but they said it wouldn’t matter. I didn’t know what to get them that they could use.
Cleda, have you broken my diaper changing record yet? I believe I had something like 11 or 12 in one evening. My trouble was I couldn’t tell when they were wet.
Elaine the announcements were really clever. Did you have them fixed at the same place? Too bad that Karl didn’t get to see the baby. I got a card from him today with his overseas address. It is
TEC 3 Karl W Abt 16081924
APO #5691
c/o Postmaster New York, N.Y.
He is probably over there by now. I am glad he got a couple more stripes as it means a good deal more money.
Stan, take it easy on the boys in calesthenics, I know what we thing of P.T. instructors and I’d hate to have some scouts thinking such things of my brother-in-law. Maybe you could get get Dad up there for a work out some evening.
That reminds me, Dad take it easy on that sun bathing my shoulders are blistered now.
Enough for now.
With love,
Tom
