Oct. 31, 1943
Sun. 1:00 P.M.
Dear Folks:
Well I am now back at Aloe. We got back about 4:30 yesterday afternoon. I qualified as a sharpshooter down at the island. I didn’t have enough points for expert which is the best. With a little luck on my record missions I could have made it. I was doing pretty good on aerial gunnery for a while. Then I changed ships etc. Then I blowed up and couldn’t hit a thing for 2 or 3 days. We we went on record. I got a 7 then a 10. The next day which was yesterday I got a 2. Then I got 11, but that one didn’t count because some other planes got mixed up in our pattern and between shooting and dodging planes.
Then on my fourth record mission I got hot again and got 33 hits. Which is the same as hitting 74%. But I just started hitting it too late. I needed 13 more hits for expert.
We have reservations on the plane. It leaves Dallas at 8:05 A.M. Nov. 4 and arrives in Chicago at 1:14 P.M. that afternoon. If we take it all the way to Grand Rapids, it will arrive at G.R. at 11:12 P.M. Nov. 4. But if we can we will get off at Chicago and catch the first train for Grand Rapids. Because we can get to Grand Rapids from Chicago just as quick or quicker by train. Our biggest worry is to be able to get to Dallas in time to get that plane out. So I wouldn’t advise you folks to ry to meet me at the station or airport. I think we will most likely arrive by train from Chicago.
Well folks I hope I’ll be seeing you soon after you get this letter.
Oh yes I found out for sure that I will be a Lt.
But I still have an instrument check to pass.
Yours truly,
Lt. Alva D. Bessey
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