Oct. 25, 1943
Mon. 5:30 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Just a few words to let you know how I’m doing. I had a bad start on my aerial gunnery. The first 2 missions I had zeros. Then my instructor thought he would show me how. He got 1 hit. Then another instructor tried and he got zero. So they decided that the gun was off and they gave me another plane. The first mission with this plane I got 1 hit. Then I cut my lead down just a little bit and made another change or two and I got 23 hits. 23 out of 100 is pretty good shooting. The next day out on the first mission I was just shooting the last of my bullets and I was just breaking away when the target started falling and fell into the water below. Evidently I had hit the cable with which the tow ship pulls the target. So we didn’t get the score on that target. Then I got a 13, 21, and 20 which is a pretty good days shooting. To score these targets they paint the points of the bullets different colors. Each student in the flight takes a different color. When the bullet passes through the target it leaves some of the paint on the edge of the hole.
They were having a shooting contest of some kind today so we didn’t fly at all.
I still don’t know how I’m going to get home. I guess you can look for me when I get there.
Boy I’m getting lazy from lying around down here all the time.
So Jim had to stay after school four nights for staying home on the first day of hunting? tsk tsk
I’m afraid I won’t know the old house when I get home. Say just how are you making out on the gas situation?
Well I hope you are all well and happy.
Yours truly,
Alva
Ancestors Across the Ages 