June 3, 1943
Thurs 8:30 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well folks I’ll write you a short letter. Yesterday I had a check ride to ride my U off. I passed it. I got a weak S (satisfactory). I have 33 hrs in the air now. I will get my 30 hr check any day now. This is an army check ride. If I can get by that check I will be okay. The 20 hr and the 30 hr checks are where all the boys wash-out. My instructor has only 2 students left. One of the boys failed his 20 hr check so he has an army E check ride tomorrow. So you can see 3 out of our 5 boys have washed out. If I don’t hurry up and improve I will be the fourth one. The other boy comes from Missouri. It has been windy the last few days so every time I try to land I bounce all over the field. Another one of the boys in our room washed out yesterday. It was on his 20 hr check.
I’m sending a picture of myself. It was taken at night while I was writing. Notice the neatly arranged table. Those bottles are pop bottles. We are flying 2 1/2 to 3 hrs a day. I’m telling you that we are pretty tired at night.
Well folks I haven’t received any letters from you for quite a while. I hope you are getting along okay.
So long,
Alva
P.S. This picture is sort of blurred. Well I’ll write again soon.
Ancestors Across the Ages 