May 9, 1943
Sun. 5:00 P.M.
Dear Folks:
I guess I might as well write you folks as much as I can, while I have the chance. Can’t tell how much time I will have to write after awhile.
I just remembered a few days ago Dort asked what A.A.F.C.F.S. means. It means Army Air Force Contract Flying School. Simple isn’t it?
I think I will fly tomorrow. It is clear out now. I hope so anyway. I’m getting tired of lying around.
I’ve run out of stamps so I will have to send this regular mail.
I went to church this morning. There was a big crowd. Because it is Mother’s Day no doubt. I’m sorry I couldn’t send you anything Ma. They ran out of cards here and when they got some more in it was too late for me. But you can bet I was thinking of you. A lot of the boys called home. But you folks don’t have a phone so I couldn’t do that either.
Some of the boys got drunk last night. Then they came in about 1:30 and woke me up. We did get to sleep until 8:00 A.M. this morning though.
You know I hardly know what is going on in the outside world. We hardly know there is a war on. I see newspapers but I don’t even bother to read them. I’ll tell you one thing though, the boys were all pretty mad about that coal-strike business. It would have been pretty hard on those minors if these cadets could have gotten into those mines.
I’ve been having trouble keeping any clean pants. I have four pairs of these. They are quite light so they get dirty and wrinkled quick. It takes about a week for them to get back from the laundry. They can be either dry cleaned or washed. This laundry soaks a lot for their work. But they do a good job.
I guess my laundry bill is my biggest expense.
On those exams yesterday I got 84 on Aircraft Engines and 78 on Theory of Flight. A lot of the boys failed on that Theory of Flight test. I had to do some reasoning to get through myself because I sleep in class so much. This course covers things like the action of the air on the wings of the plane, how the propellor pulls the airplane, the slant of the wings and a lot of stuff we can learn while flying. So I just took what I know from my flying and used a little common sense on the rest. I was the last one done but I got through okay.
Dort seems to be doing a lot of driving now. How does the car work anyway? I suppose Jim is helping a lot now. How does the tractor work? Okay I hope. How many cows are you milking? Has any of those heifers freshened yet? How do you like your White Rocks? Did you say you got 400 pullets?
How are you folks fixed for money? Say did I ever send that will to you? I can’t remember. I know I was supposed to but I don’t remember doing it.
In a few days I will be able to take that old plane and set it down on any field that you have on that place. They teach us how to make emergency landings just in case. Plowed fields are the best because the plane won’t roll so far after landing.
Well folks I better close. It is about time for supper. It is just 6:00 P.M. I just heard Jack Benny come on. Is that the same time he comes on back there?
Yours truly,
Alva
Ancestors Across the Ages 