Murell Bessey, Alva’s older brother, married Gladys in December of 1942, in Maryland.
May 31, 1943
Mon. 5:00 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well I’m in town again. We didn’t fly today because it was too cloudy. We didn’t fly Saturday because it rained. So we were supposed to fly yesterday but it rained about all day. We went on the flying line at 8:00 A.M. and stayed until 12:00. We then ate dinner and came back and stayed until 3:00. Then they finally dismissed us. So we didn’t get much open-post yesterday. That’s why we got open-post this afternoon. Boy this rain is really putting us way behind in our flying. I put in 30 min. in the link trainer today so I have 1 1/2 hours in that outfit so far. We must get 5 hrs. in that. We have to have 65 hrs. in the air before we leave here. I have 25 hrs. so far. We have about 3 wks. to do this in. And I have more time than most of the boys.
I bought myself a watch Saturday night. I had to give $33.50 for it. The cheapest they had were about $29.
I got a letter from Garnet today and she said that she had been down and met Murell’s wife. I suppose Garnet told you that I called her up. If you folks had a phone I could call you up. If you would like to you could go to Marsdens or somebody like that and call me up then I would be glad to pay for the call. We have open-post Wed. and Saturday nights and Sun, so I am usually in town here at that time. The rest of the time I am on the post some place. It took about 2 1/2 hrs. to get that call through for me.
Well the boy who washed out from our room is leaving for Shepherd Field tomorrow. Where he goes from there he doesn’t know. He is going to take an exam for meteorology school, so he may go to Grand Rapids. If I ever wash out and don’t qualify for Navigator or Bombardier, I’m going to make a good try for that. This boy has 2 years of college but no Physics otherwise he would qualify without an exam. But I sort of think that I’m not going to wash-out. But right now I don’t stand on very solid ground. Another boy in our room has an Army check-ride. If he fails that he is about finished. Some of the boys have written back from Shepherd Field. They said that when they get there they give them a big variety of choices. They can take gunnery, gunnery, or gunnery. But I wouldn’t relish being a gunner. I think that I would do more good at something else.
Boy I’m getting tired of this sitting around waiting for it to stop raining. It is very demoralizing. Well folks I guess I have said about all there is to say. Write soon and tell me about Murell’s visit and all about his wife etc. Did he enjoy his visit. I imagine he did. Pug says that he has changed a lot. Is that right? Well how are the cows and chickens etc. doing? And how are you folks? Are you all well and healthy? I suppose Jim is now ready to enter high school. Boy Ma and Dad, your family is growing up fast. We are getting spread out too. But I figure on going back to Michigan as soon as this old war is settled. I’ll take you all up for a plane ride then. Okay folks?
So long,
Alva
Ancestors Across the Ages 