Dec. 6, 1943
8:30 Sun.
Dear Folks:
I guess I’ll scratch a few lines off now. Yesterday I finally got to fly again. I climbed into that P-47 and started up and first thing I knew I was up there skidding and slipping around in the sky with 8 tons of airplane. Boy what a plane. This is the old plane that’s going to whip the pants off those Jap zeros. It is a comparatively new plane. So far all it’s been used for is escorting bombers out of England. Nothing can get above this plane. It will go just as high as man can stand to go. The higher you go the faster this old plane will go. A good deal of our flying with be above 30,000 ft.
I don’t know when I wrote you last so if I repeat myself just forget it.
My instructor is a captain and he is just back from 1 1/2 years combat flying in China. He flew P-40s there. He only has 5 hrs. in this plane. He really thinks a lot of this plane. You know Dad this old baby will hold 10 times as much as that outfit you keep your tractor gas in. That’s with a belly tank on. The way we fly it, it only holds 6 times that much. It uses about 2 times that much every hour. Boy that plane has a real engine in it. 2000 H.P. That’s the biggest engine in any plane, and this plane doesn’t lumber along like a big clumsy bomber. It really goes. It does nice acrobatics and it can out-dive any plane because of its weight. And above 25,000 feet it out can-climb, out-maneuver and out-run any plane in the world. Below 25,000 feet it can’t climb and maneuver like the lighter planes.
It’s an easy plane to fly. It almost lands itself. Some fellows had trouble getting lined up with the runway right. One boy made 13 passes at the field before he finally landed. Most of the boys made a couple passes. I was lucky and hit it right the first time. The reason they had trouble is because this plane is so much heavier and faster than what they flew before. So when they went to turn, it didn’t come around so sharp. So when they got straightened out they were way the other side of the runway. A lot of them were a little leery and tried to bring them in too fast so they were landing too far down the runway.
Have I told you about this place yet? I think I did, so I won’t repeat myself. We seem to be way out in the woods and forgotten. They don’t have the facilities to do anything here. Today was the first time I got any mail since about 2 days before I left Dale Mabry. Except for one letter I got while up at Harding. That one must have slipped through some way. Nobody got any. It seems they sent our mail on ahead of us. When we got to Harding we were informed that it had been sent on ahead again. We got here and no mail. It got hung up some place. Just today we all got a few letters. But I still have a lot laying some place. I got a letter from Dort that was mailed Nov. 27.
I just remembered I believe I did write you just a day or so ago. I was thinking I hadn’t written you since I got down here.
Tonight was the first meal I have eaten that filled me up since I got down here. The food is slowly improving. Pretty soon now we will be getting food that we will like well enough to take a second helping.
Shucks! The Captain says we will probably go to A.T.U. after this. So it looks like I have about 6 months at least before I get into combat. It will be longer if I get hooked as an instructor in this place.
I haven’t figured out what to get anybody for Christmas. I haven’t figured out how to get anything yet. This town doesn’t have much to choose from.
While I’m on the subject, I might tell you a few things I could use. This is just so I won’t be getting colored ties and loud socks, etc. See? I could use a bathrobe or pajamas. I could use some slippers or shower clogs. I lost my wooden clogs someplace. I could use an O.D. shirt and O.D. pants. Of course a good khaki tie helps as well as socks. But what I would really like to get is a 10 day leave (or more). If one of you could use your influence to get me one, I assure you it would be greatly appreciated.
Well folks I had better close. Yes I know that the newest Bessey was named Steven Jay.
It’s almost bedtime and I’m tired.
Yours truly,
Alva
P.S. Started ground school and P.T. again today. AB
Ancestors Across the Ages 