College Training - Air Student
A/S Van Arsdall, R.N., So. Wing
31st CTD-Air Crew
Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa
August - November 1943
August 7, 1943
Dear Mother,
Somewhere in Tennessee. Troop train and very shaky and dirty. Don’t know about address, but Meadville’s where I’m going. Main part of Keesler painted up. Winter too (on post card). Don’t write till I send address. (Didn’t get to mail!)
Love,
Roy
August 7, 1943
Dear Mother,
I wrote a card to mail on the train, but we were given orders not to mail anything. I was a little afraid to risk it because there were several officers aboard. We left Keesler at 2:00 PM Wednesday. Had a troop train made of about 17 dirty day coaches. Had plenty of room, but were they dirty. They stopped at every path for the first 300 miles, and then he really let her rip. We went through Mobile, Montgomery, Nashville, Bowling Green, Louisville, Cincinnati, Lima and to Meadville.
We had a couple of interesting experiences. We were stopped beside another train in Bowling Green. It pulled out and on the next track was a big train just loaded with guys in khaki. Some had their shirts off. Some of the guys hollered at them and we all thot they were Americans. They looked just like us. Then we saw guys parked all around with sub machine guns and shotguns. Then there were white straps on some of their shoulders. Then a guy with the German Africa Corps hat sticks his head out. We just look. Then everybody goes to the windows to see. The whole train was full of nothing but Germans from Africa. They were very brown and looked to be in splendid condition. The officers only stared at us. Some of the others looked as if they were cursing us, but the majority just sat and looked. There was one fellow who got us. He grinned all over his face and laughed a lot. When he’d see someone talking about him he’d grin all over and look around the car at the others. I think he was glad to be out of the war. When we stopped in Cincinnati another train of 18 cars stopped beside us. They were all Germans, too. Didn’t get to see much because it was dark. Funny, though, they look exactly like Americans and the majority were young. Nothing else happened except a hot box burned most of the way, but they’d just stop and dump water on it.
Well, it certainly is nice here. More like spring weather. The campus is prettier than any I’ve seen. Got UK beat all over. We have a wonderful place to stay. I think it must have been a lodge or huge fraternity house. Anyhow, it’s big, has vines growing over it and has a beautiful lawn. Every place here has though.
It’s something like this only it’s a beautiful building. Even has bath tubs; showers, too. And we eat like anyone else. Go thru the cafeteria line and several ladies dish it out and we have good tables to go to. Dining room looks like a big ball room with big chandeliers, etc. We wear fatigues, leggings, and OD hat. Not so bad and better than khaki to keep clean.
There will be no hazing by upper-class men. They will be on us for a couple of weeks, but we’re restricted these two anyhow. After a month we cease to be lower-class men. You can’t flunk out. They make you go until you pass everything.
I’ve just seen some more of the campus. Its really beautiful. Small, too. Just accommodates 750 students. There are more girls than boys, or will be when they come in September. They also have an indoor pool--heated for winter use.
The schedule we’ll have will really be rugged. I drew my books about an hour after I arrived--14 of them. The first two weeks we have classes till 9:30 at night. Go to bed at 10:00. One guy said you never had time to study. I have 180 hours of physics. Here’s a list: Notebook and paper, Lab Manual of Physics, Civil Air Regulations, English, Weather, Elements of Geography (Physical and Cultural), Economic Geography, The World Since 1914, Physics, Plain and Spherical Trigonometry, Solid Mensuration, Aircraft math, Math Tables, Narrative of War, and First Aid. Boy, that stuff looks tough. The books (some of them) have 700 to 800 pages, but they are all pretty and new. Nearly like starting college again.
I’d better write a good letter this time because I’m sure that with classes till 9:30 I won’t have time. We’ll have some calisthenics and drill, etc., too. Boy, some meals!--maybe it’s just the way we get to eat them. Plenty of milk and tonite we had watermelon.
I’ve been sewing patches on my clothes all my free time. Have one for shoulders and another big gold and blue on for my right sleeve.
I’ll try to drop cards from time to time, but you must see that I can’t write a full letter all the time.
Send my camera. I think I can have one here. If not I can easily hide it or send it back.
Well, nothing else to say now except that I’m infatuated with the change. Right now I’m at a table with incandescent lighting. Its like spring outside. You can see the hills and mountains in the distance. Right out beside us are some girls playing tennis and everything is more like the bluegrass in Kentucky. I love the looks and I think I can get the work.
I’ll have five months if I don’t flunk anything. If need be they could call us sooner. During that time I wont have a pass for more than 12 hours or 50 miles. There’s a slim chance that we might get a small leave (not furlough) at Christmas.
If you want to you can give folks I’ve been writing to my address. Wont have time to write all of them. That math will have my time, I expect.
I’m buying myself a pen.
Bye,
Love,
Roy
August 9, 1943
Dear Mother,
We’ve done nothing yet, but classes start tomorrow. Most of the math I’ve had no dealing with. I don’t know how much I can get as I believe we’ll be cut a month short. All the other classes are leaving nearly a month in advance. I still have to pass a very stiff test at Nashville to become a cadet. If I pass that it will be Maxwell Field for primary. From there I don’t know. About half the guys are just high school grads, but I’m none ahead of them because my college didn’t have any value toward this. Well, anyhow, I’ll have that much college before I become a private again. A/S stands for air student and gets the same money as the rank held formerly.
By the way, we eat much better food than I ate at UK even. There is milk every meal, too.
If you have an extra shoe stamp, I could use it because mine aren’t in very good shape. We have to look right up to par too.
It’ll probably be pretty bad weather when I hit my flying. The boys say the field isn’t much good. I think about half of the planes stay with smashed landing gear because of the roughness. They are all Cubs here.
The place we live in now was for “Odd Fellows”. Its very nice and there are still some folks living upstairs. In a week or so we move to the dorm. It’s much better looking than UK’s. And they just put two to a room, sometimes only one. That’s better than the situation at school, too.
There are other good points, too. There are a few girls here now, but when school opens in September there will be over 400. There aren’t more than 350 of us. We’re right in town, but the girls can’t leave the campus without an escort. Also, they can’t drive a car without an escort. Naturally, we are the only available escorts. From what they say, the girls are the ones that get the dates. I’ve seen several pick up boys in their cars.
Well, this will be the last lengthy letter for awhile, unless I get a chance on Sunday. I sent most of my correspondents a card. Oh yes! We have a coke machine rite here!
Love,
Roy
August 13, 1943
Dear Mother,
I’m writing this on borrowed time. We don’t have it hard, but there is never a moment left. We get up at six and hit chow at 6:40. At noon we sometimes don’t even put our books down. At supper we have to double time back from retreat (1 1/2 hours) to get our khaki’s on. Eat at six and fall out for class at 7:00. That lasts till 9:30. But we never get back till quarter of ten. Lights are supposed to go out at ten, but they give us 15 minutes extra to shave, wash, shine shoes, etc. Lessons are gotten when possible. We get them everywhere. No long assignments as yet, but we don’t have time for anything. I’m in the study room for a few minutes now.
Physics seems to be the hardest. Mainly the prof, I think. The first day he covered what one boy said they worked three weeks on in college. Some have had it and some haven’t. I just can’t grasp it that way with no study time.
The other courses seem to be OK. In English we are each given a Time Magazine each week. We’ll do much of our study there. History always starts with an account of the day’s news. The prof would make a good commentator.
Today we ran about two miles without stopping. I think we’ve got 55 minutes of steady running tomorrow (no break)--about 5 1/2 miles.
I’ve gotten your letters with the shoe stamp, too. No use sending any reading material except clippings because I can’t read now.
Didn’t even know Aunt Martha was going to have a baby. Got a letter from Juanita and she mentioned her Dad. I’m ready for the camera any time you can send it.
Classes are just like UK and I like it fine. There’s some junk that goes with the cadet system that I don’t like, but I’m not getting hurt.
Love,
Roy
August 14, 1943
Dear Mother,
Just like to have the smaller pair of my blue UK trunks. I need them till we get our equipment. You can also send my hunting knife and sheath. There are several boys that have them and they come in handy.
Nothing new. Classes as usual.
Love
Roy
August 16, 1943
Saturday
Dear Mother,
Things are over for awhile now. We had retreat and inspection. Retreat here is very showy and very formal. It takes about an hour and a half. On Wednesdays and Saturdays it’s dress uniform and the other days it’s in fatigues. There’s a lot of parades and flash. We have a drum and bugle corps of about 12 men and they make a lot of racket. The guys are all well-drilled and it looks nice. I may join the bugle outfit. They will need some and I can blow better than half of them.
Inspection is very stiff. He rubs his fingers on the floors and woodwork and looks under everything. He slaps his hand down hard on the bed, works it around in a circle, and tries to pick up the blanket. It had better not come. They’re very strict on shoes and brass. I shine mine at least eight times a day. (Just with cloth and brush). Fellows got gigs today for socks rolled improperly (infantry style), candy in locker, etc. He dumps a bag here and there to see what he can find. Then on the parade ground they stop in front of each man and look him over closely. So far I’ve escaped, but at this rate it can’t last.
Boy, I’m going to have to wash everything but dress clothes. I sent a bundle the other day and it cost $2.43. I couldn’t stand that every week.
In the morning we move down to the boys dorm. About 100 yards away. It’s a nice big building, three story. I’m on the third floor. We (eight of us) have one big room and two small ones going off from that. Thomas A. Wright (Ohio) and I grabbed one of the small ones. (Calfisch Hall is the name of the building). Our room is good. It wont be hard to keep clean. Has a closet, dresser and our beds. Nice little place. There’ll be a slight change in address, too. My room is 323, but don’t make any change till I tell you to.
You can send the things I asked for as soon as convenient. Camera--I think I can get some film, blue shorts, and knife. I have a helmet and field jacket I’m going to send if I can.
Love,
Roy
August 16, 1943
Sunday
Dear Mother,
Well, it’s 8 PM Sunday and I’m all moved and settled down I guess. I played basketball about two hours and spent the rest of the day fixing up. I know I spent about three hours getting out a 39 piece wash. They provide lines for us out back. I had to use a GI brush, but as soon as I get to town I’m going to get a little wash board of some kind.
We’ve got one more week of restriction and then we can stay out till 8:30 every nite. Don’t get thru eating till around 7:00, tho. On Saturday we’ve got till 12:00. Now we still have first aid till 9:30. That makes about five complete courses I’ve had in it. One at UK, one at Croft, one at Keesler, one here, and various ones at camps in earlier years. I ought to know the stuff. Men from the factory, fire department, etc. teach the classes on their own time. They do pretty well. They all have boys in service, too.
The only change in address will be ‘Sect. # 3’ in place of ‘So. Wing’. There are two in each room; four in big rooms. We keep our books in the end of tables just outside our door. The four-to-a-room put their clothes in the two closets in our room. They got a desk, but we got chair-desks and they are better, and give more room, too.
If you ever had a chance later on, this would be a little better than a camp to visit. Maybe you’ll get a chance later.
Love,
Roy
August 20, 1943
Dear Mother,
We have a free period now. We’ve had more than I ......... Went and played some volleyball and now we have another free period. Tom is using his pen. I’m going to get one as soon as I get to town. I think we get out of restriction tomorrow. Our night classes end tonite. We’ve had two hours first aid every nite for two weeks now.
I’m in the drum and bugle corps now. I have a bugle and one of those sun helmets. I’m going to have to learn darn fast because most of the old guys ship out next Saturday. They do a bit of parading and have several calls to blow while marching.
Our math prof doesn’t care for anything. He failed two columns (two cols of names) on a type written page for last week. Gives one problem a week for a test and you have about two minutes to work it. No one likes him. He wont explain anything so you can understand it. All others are OK. Physics is a little beyond us, but we’re getting by.
A big wig from Maxwell is coming down Saturday to watch inspection and retreat.
It’s quite cool here. We sleep under two blankets at nite.
Love,
Roy
August 24, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well, we got out of First Aid OK. Last Friday and Saturday we had our first open post. First time I’ve been out since we left Croft. Of course we didn’t get out till about 5:30. I guess I told you I’m in the drum and bugle corps now. They took our picture and it may be in the paper. If it is I’ll send you one.
I bought a pair of military style shoes Saturday. They are very good ones--$8.85, size 7 1/2 E. Quite different from any I’ve worn before.
I haven’t failed any of the weekly tests as yet, but our Physics lecturer gets us so messed up in one hour that it takes our Demonstration prof most of the three hours getting us straightened out. He puts it where you can understand it.
I have four gigs this week already. Weeks start on Wednesday. If I get two more before Wednesday noon, I’ll walk a tour. You get one for each gig over five. Got two for failure to wear gig tag and two for bad bed. (We’ve just changed to hospital style.) Many of the guys got tours last week. One fellow had 26. He already has 8 for next week and has earned ten more. One next to us got 14.
Got a card from Miss Wilds. Must write to MamMaw. Tell her I will soon.
Love,
Roy
August 26, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well, today is a good day. At chow formation (breakfast) we officially become upper-class men. We wont have to stand that brace line six times a day now. A lot of the guys are becoming student officers, but since I’m in the bugle corps I wont have to. That will save me a lot of trouble, too.
Tonite I’m on guard from 11:30 to 1:30. All I have to do, tho, is walk the side walk by the dorm.
The only subject that’s giving me trouble is physics. The man just goes too fast. The whole student body has complained to the captain and he’s rectifying the situation. We do OK on the lab periods. Today we were finding the specific heat of different metals by heating some and putting them in water and then taking the temperature of the water. Of course there was a lot of weighing, thermometer reading, etc. because the least loss of heat or inaccurate measurement will throw you off.
We had three metals and missed two of them only .008 and the other only .002. That’s pretty close because some made errors in the tenths. The formula we had to work with was:
MS(t-t1) = W(t1-t0) + WcS’(t1-t0)
Each number in there has to have a number found, so you can see how easily a mistake can be made in measuring. In one period I filled three sheets with stuff like this (an equation follows that I can’t duplicate on this machine). He just throws it up there and expects us to know how and why. When it comes to working a problem without the given formula in front of you, it’s just T.S. You get up in the millions, too. When he puts one like this down we never can catch what the symbols stand for: (another stretch of equations that I can’t do with this machine).
You might use these stamps. You might as well send Wilma’s picture. Try to find film when you can. This stationery is not my doing.
Where did Dad get the energy to write all that letter? I’ll write him soon, however, all the stuff I write would be the same regardless of address.
Love,
Roy
August 26, 1943
Dear Mother,
I just now happened to think about it. When I was at Keesler I sent $30.00 money order home. I don’t remember you saying whether you got it or not. I still have the receipt, so if you didn’t get it I guess it’s still saved. You may have told me, but I forgot.
Well, I don’t think I got any tours this week. I think I broke about even. Some of the fellows have an awful amount.
I was on guard from 11:00 to 1:15 last nite. Being right in front of the Hall I had to challenge about twenty times. Sounds funny, bellowing right out in the night and making a fellow come forward to be recognized when you know darn well who he is, however, we dare not miss one. It’s a good guard compared, but just walking back and forth for two hours is tiresome. I bet I did a million about faces. The Lt. caught two guards talking so after their guard tour they walked quick time for two more hours.
You can send my UK notebook. I’ll need it because these are no good. You can put Wilma’s picture in it.
Love,
Roy

Wilma Mae McMullin, Lexington, Ky.
August 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
Our restrictions are now lifted and we’re upper-class men, so I guess we’ll get along OK.
I had some pictures made in town last nite. If they turn out OK I’ll get you one. Don’t know how long it’ll be before they’re done. I bought a wash board too. One of these glass things. I spend a couple hours every Sunday morning getting my clothes washed. I wash everything except my khaki’s. They have to go to the laundry. I washed 32 things this morning and got ready and went to church. It’s a Christian church and not much bigger than ours. There were 286 there and I noticed that the record was 361. Most of the people seem to be old, but they were all nice. I was the only AS there. The old preacher had to welcome his brother from Kentucky right from the pulpit. And I happened to be right up front.
I think our time here will be cut shorter still. Already 160 have gone since we came and none have come in. At that rate we’ll leave in October. At the most we’ll leave before Thanksgiving. There will be no furloughs for a long while unless something happens at Nashville that I don’t make cadet.
I’ll be flying here in a little while, too. The older boys go to the field most every day now.
I’ll send you some post card pictures. Later I make take some pictures.
Love,
Roy
August 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
I stayed in the south wing. The yard is beautiful. There are many more shrubs and trees and the walls are covered with ivy.
Love,
Roy
August 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
This is an old picture. We have some trees and lots of bushes and have a big AC sign in the horseshoe. I’m on the other side of the building from the ‘X’.
Love, Roy

My dorm - Calfisch Hall. Note “X” third floor window right
August 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
This is typical. Most of the buildings are very old. Have a beautiful old observatory and a nice garden and fountain. Have about ten buildings all together. Nice old chapel, too.
Love,
Roy

Library on the campus of Allegheny College
August 30, 1943
Dear Mother,
This is typical of the looks of the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. Nice.
Love,
Roy

American Viscose - Viola Thompson’s work place
August 31, 1943
Dear Mother,
You never did say whether you got the $30.00 from Keesler. I’d like to know. I’ve asked about it once or twice.
By now I guess you’ve gotten the package from me. Hope it got there OK.
You might as well send me my Cornet. It’s not doing me any good at home, and I can blow it here in the room till we leave. If there is a little oil around, put it in. I’d also like to have the little book I copied some songs in. You’d better put the whole outfit in some kind of a pasteboard box. Don’t bother cleaning the horn. I’ll do it here. I’ll be looking for it.
We get paid tomorrow, however, I still may have to send home for some of my money. My athletic equipment will be $10.00, my pictures around $10.00 (maybe, if they’re any good), and if I get a pen that will be up there, too. I get $37.50, you know. But if I do have to break in I can make it up next month.
Be looking for horn.
Love,
Roy
August 31, 1943
Dear Mother,
May not be enough postage, but I guess you’ll get them. I had to scramble everywhere for string and paper. You can give the shoes to Roger or anything else. I wont need them again. I think my insignias are in the jacket pocket. You can have it cleaned and Dad can wear it. If he wears it to town you’d better cut off the shoulder straps. It’s safe because they can be bought in almost any military store. If it wont fit him just put it away because it’s a good one. The helmet went thru a lot. I just wanted to keep it. No trouble.
Love,
Roy.
September 6, 1943
Dear Mother,
This boy is a good friend of mine. Came up from Keesler. His name (Tsung) is pronounced ‘Chang’.
A picture of the bugle corps will be in the next issue.
There’s nothing to write. I just got back from church. I got the note book and stuff. Went to a square dance last nite.
Love,
Roy

Roy Van Arsdall standing fifth from left
From the 31st College Training Detachment’s TAIL-SPINNER
September 9, 1943
Dear Dad,
Well, the news has been pretty good the last few days. Italy’s surrender is about as good a gain in psychological effects on the German people and neutrals as it is in material gain. They kept things pretty well in the dark till they were ready. I’d hate to be a citizen in a German city now.
About the middle of October we start flying. We’ve got a new airport to fly during bad weather. They land on a grass runway now, but during bad weather, which it will be when I fly, we’ll land on a macadam runway at Port Mead. We got 30 new Waco’s a few days ago. We already had 15 Cubs, but they weren’t the best in the world. So far there have been no wrecks. They’ve knocked off a few props, wheels, wing tips, etc., but no one has ever been hurt. As soon as the motor on a heavy plane quits, the plane drops like a rock, but these will glide two or three miles.
We were supposed to see a football game Friday nite, but our section marcher told a bunch of stuff to the Lt. about us. Any other guy would have gigged a couple fellows and let it go. Now the whole section has no open post for a week and we drill all our time off, even at nite. He’s about the second one I’ve ever seen like that. Now the whole section isn’t speaking except when necessary. (He is just one of us with a stripe.) One of our boys was student OD yesterday and caught him out of his room after call to quarters. He got three gigs for that. Every one over five means a tour. Since he’s an officer he has to take confinement for two hours for every tour instead of walking. We’ll ruin him before the weekend.
Saturday week we have some races between sections. The winning section gets a night off during the week in town. There are all kinds, but I’m running the 440. So far I’ve done it in 46 seconds, but I haven’t been practicing. There is even a three mile race. Every Friday the whole outfit runs about six miles. It takes our whole 50 minute period and about everything we’ve got. The other days we run from 2-3 miles.
Soccer is a popular game here. They have a beautiful field about 1 1/2 miles away. The volley ball team from our section is undefeated as yet.
If I can get in the bugle corps at Nashville, I’ll get out of details and KP. We get out of lots of things here, too. We’ll be there around a month taking tests. About five percent go there. A few go out in preflight and 50 percent in primary. At the end about 30 percent make pilots. Thirty percent of the pilots make C.O. Looks tough. They have so many now that the least little mistake and you’re taboo. It’s not like it was at Pearl Harbor. Maybe by that time something else will come of the war. At least now we’re in the softest place in the army. We really have it easy compared to what we’ve been doing.
Write and tell me what’s going on. Tell Mother to send the smaller of my heavy UK jerseys. It’s getting cool here in PT.
Roy
September 14, 1943
Dear Mother,
I haven’t had a chance to get my pictures yet. We don’t get much open post thru the week now. I think the Captain will take it all away (except week ends) when the first girls get here so we’ll go with them instead of town girls. We don’t bother with them unless they have a car. The ratio is at least 8 - 1 so we can be choosy. Closed post just means that we have to stay on campus.
I’m a two-bit sgt. now. I wasn’t supposed to be an officer because of the bugle, but they stuck them on anyhow.
Remember how I used to blow ‘You can’t get ‘em up’? Well, now I have to do it every morning to wake up the detachment. I have another boy’s trumpet. It’s a Conn (about $150 I guess). The Lieutenant has been after me to get in the swing band ever since I’ve been here. Now he tells me (jokingly) that I’ll be AWOL if I don’t come to the next rehearsal. I guess I’d better go now.
I’m a little bit late, but you’d better send my heavy sweat pants, too. I’ll need them.
All we take now is physics and math and we go so fast it’s pitiful. We’ll be flying next month.
I’ll tell you later if I need money. But I know I will because my pictures cost and I have to get all my OD’s in shape. I’m going to have the shirts cut to form.
Love,
Roy
September 23, 1943
Dear Mother,
I’m kinda long writing, aren’t I? Well, we always have something to do.
I got the letter and money. You shouldn’t have sent it until I asked for it. I was going to get by OK, but I can use it. I had about $8 left. I’ll send you a picture, but he really made a mess. He was no good at all.
We finished physics last week. I got the highest grade of any one in any section who took it and that was only 83. Over 75 percent didn’t pass, but it’s just the same. I don‘t know much physics, but I just happened to know what came on the test. Right now we’re going thru log tables, trig, geometry, etc. The 160 new fellows who came in don’t know anything. I didn’t think I’d gig anyone when I started, but they just disgust me too much. Half don’t even know the commanders of the different branches. There’s millions of things we can ask them. Now we have the authority to put a man in a brace anywhere on the campus. If he doesn’t comply to the greatest extent he is really out of luck.
Saturday I went to a nurse’s dance. Sunday two of us went to a lady’s house for dinner. When we got there we found she had three daughters. One 17, then 23 and 28. None of them were married, either. Sunday afternoon the girls took us for a ride. We went about 80 miles around a couple of lakes and over in Ohio. There’s one place at the lake where ducks walk on the fish. People throw big chunks of stale bread and the fish are so thick that they stack up in the water. I never saw the like. Some times there would be a place 30 feet across that was stacked with fish. The ducks could walk on them. They were carp between 5 and 10 pounds apiece. I went to a dance with one girl after that and we’re going again Saturday.
This Friday nite we have from 8 - 12 for a dance with the college girls. There’s only us to dance with, too. Sunday our band plays at the armory. We’ll be spoiled when we leave here.
Love,
Roy

Ducks really do walk on the backs of fishes
September 26, 1943
Dear Mother,
I have gotten my athletic clothes that you sent, the candy, and money. Thanks a lot. I happen to be in Geography class right now. He’s reading the news.
We changed into our OD’s yesterday. For class A uniform we get to wear our khaki shirts. That looks a lot better than the wool shirt. For class we wear wool shirts and pants with flight jackets.
We had a swell dance Friday night. Had an orchestra from Erie. It was in the big hall at the girls dorm. It’s huge and they really had it fixed up with air corps decorations. At first we lined up on one side and the girls on the other. When the band leader counted three, the girls ran and grabbed a boy. Quite a rush. There were at least twice too many girls. The girls did all the breaking. Then once we got in two groups and started backing till we hit a partner. We went to other dances both Saturday and Sunday.
Time here sure is going fast. Doesn’t seem like any time, but I’ve only got six weeks left. I fly two weeks from today.
Several things have happened. Our Captain left Saturday for Alabama. Our new one hasn’t come yet. It’s not definite yet, but it practically is, we will go to San Antonio instead of Nashville. We will skip preflight, too. That will knock off quite a stretch of training. San Antonio is quite a way from here. It’s even further down than Keesler. It’s not confirmed, but the captain told us so I guess it’s pretty sure.
Love,
Roy
October 1, 1943
Dear Mother,
This paper has been around quite awhile. I don’t do too much writing because there’s so much else to do. When I get to an army camp you’ll probably get a few more letters.
This week end I’m going to Erie, Pa. with a girl and her mother (they live here). I’ve also met a real nice college girl from Rochester, N.Y. Her name is Betty Fisk. The other is Marjorie Thompson. I’m stuck as to which one to take to the dance Sunday. I see one or the other every nite. Some fun! Maybe I’ll tell you something next time.
The pictures are rotten. I doubt if I’ll ever send them.
Love,
Roy

Betty Fisk (Allegheny senior), Rochester, NY
October 13, 1943
Dear Mother,
You’re right. My first flight is Saturday morning. I may not fly then, but I’ll get a little instruction on it. The other group left for San Antonio last Saturday. They had four Pullmans for 80 of them. I hope we get the same accommodations.
I don’t see why those boys didn’t pass the AC test. It wasn’t too hard. All they had to get was 80 out of 150. I got 104 and left out 18 that I didn’t even guess at. I was worried bad for awhile. Some guy in the section ahead would go to the hospital, etc. and they’d move one of our guys up. I got the 7th highest grade on the tests at Keesler. They moved us up on that basis. The 6th man is now in San Antonio. I’m not in the least anxious to leave as yet.
Sam and John had better hope that they don’t get into the infantry. Once they get into that it will be very hard to get out. The cadet corps is really a swell place to be compared to the others. The girls here wouldn’t even look at a soldier, but they don’t mind running us down.
I’m going with one here in college and one in town. I have a hard time keeping them from finding out about each other. Every nite during the week except Wednesday and Thursday (she has glee club practice) I go over to the girl’s dorm and we dance. Works out rather well because I have open post on Wednesday and Thursday, so I go to town to see the other girl. On the weekend it takes some maneuvering around, but so far it has worked out.
I wish you knew the girl’s folks in town. I never knew any nicer folks. They’d do anything for you. Her Dad is about the size and age of Uncle Bud and loves baseball. Her Mother is swell, too. She has two sisters and none are married. You never get away without eating. They sewed braid on my roommate’s cap, they take us lots of places, and they met Tom’s folks at the train station and took them to their rooming house. Then they took them to see Drake’s well Sunday afternoon. Bye.
Love,
Roy
October 16, 1943
Dear Mother,
Saturday inspection is just over. We didn’t get gigged for anything. That’s practically a record for this outfit.
The day is practically closed completely. The fog is so heavy that you can’t see 200 yards. Out flight was canceled. I was supposed to fly both Thursday and Friday. It rained both days so I haven’t been up yet. We went out and had ground school, checked planes, and ran the motors some. All our planes are little yellow Cubs. Mine is #6.
When you fly all they say is, “There’s the plane; get in!” They fly around about ten minutes and say, “Take over!”, just like pushing a guy in the water and saying, “Swim!”
The first hour you practice level flight and turns. The next is devoted to landing and take offs. From then on we stall, spin, etc.
Right now the crazy guys are sending us out in this weather for PT. I don’t like the idea.
I’m taking code, navigation, history, English, geography, military sanitation, PT, and flying. We don’t have much time left over.
I’ve had my pictures quite awhile, but they’re no good at all. Make me look quite spooky.
I’ll write more after we get into the air once.
Love,
Roy

Air student Roy Van Arsdall
October 17, 1943
Dear Mother,
I’m in Titusville with the Thompson’s. We just saw Drakes well, and it’s cold and snowing. Everything is OK. Haven’t flown as yet, but will soon. Margie is looking on. She’s a swell girl.
Love,
Roy

Marjorie Thompson, Meadville, Pennsylvania
October 19, 1943
Dear Mother,
So far every flight has been canceled. It snowed yesterday and today the flakes were big as eggs. Doesn’t stick, tho. Supposed to go up tomorrow, but it doesn’t look promising now. Those who went up this morning before it closed in said it was awfully cold. And those Cubs aren’t very air tight.
Looks like I’m in Dutch with my girls. I’m gonna make one mad sure as fire this Saturday. Betty has asked me to the “All College” dance. And that’s a special dance of the year, too. Then Margie asked me to the Alpha Gam dance, and that is very special to her. I knew I’d finally get caught with no way out. I can do lots better with the girls now since I can dance fairly well. And they like uniforms and wings, too.
I mailed you a card from Titusville, site of Drake’s oil well. Margie and her folks took me over to see it Sunday. Her Mother bought the cards and suggested that I write one. They entertained Tom’s Mom and sister when they came. Tom is almost 27. He is about Dad’s height, not so heavy, but his hair is the same color and about the same thickness.

Drake oil well - first oil well in the U.S. - Titusville, Pennsylvania
I gave Margie a box of candy Sunday. They always have a big dinner. Usually fried chicken. I was supposed to go down to Sunday dinner, but I told her I’d eat here and be down later. Well, darn ‘em, I got there and they’d saved their big meal for supper. You just can’t beat those folks. I wish you could get up here and meet them. Be as bad leaving them as leaving home--almost. I’ll bet I wind up at the Alpha Gam dance with Margie, too. (She happens to be a nice blue-eyed blond.)
Sam probably did fail the physical because his blood pressure always was bad. I expect they both failed the mental, tho. I know several boys who were Sophs and Juniors at UK who couldn’t make the grade.
I had a little trouble about my 4-H project when I was home. Rog will never get anything working in that arrangement either. What did I get? I told Dad the day he came to UK that if he’d pull loose and let us work for ourselves I’d come home and not sign up. He was a little vague and I knew he wouldn’t. I’m better satisfied away.
Tell Rog if he doesn’t work his best in that 4-H he needs a skinning. It’ll do him far more good later than he can imagine. Not so much the work as the contacts he will make. He should get into some of everything to do best. I’ll be disappointed in him if he doesn’t take a sport at school. He’ll wish he had later on.
If I were Rog, I’d stick myself in front of those 4-H leaders all I could in demonstrations, work, etc. They all know him now and he’d have a fairly easy way up. He must go to college, too. There’s nothing for him elsewhere and it’s barrels of fun, even if you do work and worry.
So far here I’ve never had a delinquency. I’ll get some school credit on this. How much I don’t know.
I think this mess will be over soon, but if it isn’t, Rog wants to have some stuff in his head. My friends from Croft write me from Africa now.
Don’t worry about me and my plane. I’ve always gotten along, haven’t I? As far as combat goes, I’m a long way off. When I do get in I will be able to take care of myself. But it doesn’t worry me in the least. If some one else is better than I (and I’m gonna make him have to be darn good) then it’s just my tough luck.
Hope you and Rog can make things tick. And I know Dad will do OK.
Love,
Roy
October 21, 1943
Dear Mother,
Today turned out to be perfect. Of course I don’t fly till tomorrow, but we have hopes of it being a pretty day. Don’t worry about the weather. A Cub flies in only one storm so they wont send us up in bad weather.
I’m going to a dance with Marge Saturday. It’s informal, but I think I’ll get her a couple gardenias. I suppose they’ll be OK. Don’t know what else I’d get.
I blew retreat for the first time in more than a week this afternoon. I’m getting to be quite a hand at that junk. It’s taps at 10:15 every nite and reveille at 6:15 every morn. Every pretty afternoon I blow ‘retreat’ and ‘to the colors’. On parade I have to blow three more calls to get the squadron in mass formation. Funny, but I’ve never been nervous since I started. I thot I would, walking out in front of the whole detachment and always a mess of onlookers. The bugle corps is mine, too. At least I have to give all commands. I should have known this drill at UK. Maybe now I could bark Dad down. Or more than likely I’d be used to the noise.
Nothing going on. As far as I know it’s November 13 that we leave. Could be the sixth, tho.
Love,
Roy
October 24, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well, I got my feet off the ground yesterday. Some stuff! All I know about it was what I’d read and what other boys had told me.
I followed him thru on the take off. As soon as we got out of the traffic pattern he told me to take over. I did turns for awhile. The hardest thing is to keep the nose from going up or down on those turns. It’s pretty hard to keep the wings level, too. I’d work on different things for awhile and then he’d take it and just let me look at things. Looks pretty small down. The air field looks just like a cross roads.
He made a few stalls. Just points the nose at the sky and keeps it there till she’s just beating the air. All of a sudden the plane just lets loose and drops.
Toward the end he said, “Take it and do what you damn well please. If there’s anything you want to find our about, just try it, only don’t run it into the ground.” All he did was look out the window every once in a while to see what I was running into. I got above 2,000 feet and stayed there just flying around. It was a beautiful day, but about as bumpy as an old school bus. Right at the end I was getting sick, but I’d been sick that morning from a race we’d had. Most everyone got a little sick first time up. You see about half of them coming from the ship carrying their quart ice cream box and there’s a new member in the “breakfast club”. Today it’s raining again so till later.
Love,
Roy
October 27, 1943
Dear Mother,
Had another nice weekend as they all have been. I went to a dance with Margie Saturday nite. I got her a nice carnation corsage. She’s really a lovely little blond. Betty invited me to the “All College” dance with her, but I cooked up a nice excuse. She’s nice, 20, brunette, and all, but I still like Margie and all her family. They always have a lot of stuff to eat crammed around. I go there now just like I would at home. I think I know all their relatives now. She has two sisters. Glena May, 22, almost red hair, had her tonsils out Friday. Her brother is a Captain in the engineers in Australia. You should see the souvenirs he’s sent home. He has a real pretty wife and baby about three years old. They’ve been staying here for awhile.
Sunday we went to Oil City. I’ve seen just about everything around here. Most of the oil wells are small, tho. Her Dad likes to talk, tell tall tales, and show all his stuff. When he starts taking up my time you should see Margie get stewed up.
It wasn’t such a good day, but we flew anyhow. The sky was covered and it was cold as the dickens. Now I appreciate my gym clothes you sent. I had them on under.
You should see me rigged up with all my clothes, a big parachute and ear phones draped around me. On the take-off I followed thru on the controls, etc., and was holding back on the stick in a regular climb, but I didn’t think I was flying it. At about 300 feet off the runway I decided I wanted to see out so I leaned over and looked over the edge. The old plane just pitched over and, boy, did he holler. I didn’t even know I was flying.
Around 3,500 we were above most of the clouds, but it was cold as all get out. I flew most all the time. We did some tail spins. The plane flips upside down and the earth starts going in a circle. You don‘t seem to move. When you pull out your stomach goes thru the seat. If you’ll get sick it’ll be then. Hasn’t got me yet.
Out of one class of 80, 49 made pre-flight, 26 went to primary, and 12 got out of basic. Nice, huh?
Love,
Roy
October 29, 1943
Dear Mother,
It would be nice if you could write to Mrs. Thompson. Her address is:
Mrs. Carl Thompson, 781 S. Grant St., Meadville, Pa.
The day started out pretty, but closed down completely about 9:30. I have 2 weeks left and only have two hours in. Don’t know whether I’ll get to finish or not.
Our new captain is really a #@*#. We have no open post during the week. On one tour you walk it and stay confined Saturday nite. On more than three you stay in the weekend. And they gig for everything now, too.
If you really wanted to come up, it could be arranged OK, but there’s not much use. You know what I look like any how.
Right now I have no idea what I want for Christmas. There’s no need bothering about it. I may be washed out and have a furlough (I hope not) by then.
Love,
Roy
October 29, 1943
Dear Mother,
Just heard from the last class that went to San Antonio. Twelve of them washed out right there. Funny, but several went on the psychological (sp-you know what I mean) tests. Coordination and physicals got the rest. I should get by the psycho, but the others aren’t in my power to improve right now. I know my left eye isn’t perfect and that isn’t so good.
Weather has been so bad that I still have only two hours. I’ll probably leave without my ten hours. Especially since I now need another plane. One of our boys took off and lost control. Came right down the ready line. He got over the first plane, chopped the front off the next, and tore mine in so many pieces it could hardly be found.
That prop really did its work well. The three planes are beyond salvage, but no one was hurt. Missed all cockpits completely. Instructors and boys were inside, too. Only my instructor got his glasses broken and face cut some. I’m enclosing about the biggest piece left. Nice little souvenir. The student just before me was inside.
Here are the proofs of those pictures I’ve had for a month. When I leave I’ll send some pictures with some other stuff. You can see why I kept them.
If you’d like I’ll try to call you some time Sunday morning the seventh, if I don’t get shipped. This is all the paper I have right now.
Love,
Roy
November 3, 1943
Dear Mother,
Of course the weekend was pretty so I flew both Saturday and Sunday. But I’m glad to get the hours in. My next hour is a check ride. I’ll have to take off, do a series of turns, fly a rectangle course, do six different stalls, and bring her back in the traffic pattern and land. You don’t get up there and just fly around. There’s some pattern for everything you do. In a spin you pick out something on the ground and just turn so many times before coming out. You have to think a lot too. You have your feet on the rudders, one hand on the stick and the other on the throttle. It’s a lot of trouble to keep it at 2100 RPM. That’s what Cubs cruise at.
There were about forty planes out Sunday afternoon. They were everywhere. Some P-40’s went by me like I was standing still.
I’ll call you some time Sunday. It could be that I’d have to fly Sunday morning, but I think I could get the call in then anyhow.
Margie got me into the shop for these little old pictures. They are 40 for 50 cents. He had my face looking like a devil. It’s really fairly clear.
Bye,
Roy
November 5, 1943
Dear Mother,
Some more of that old blue paper! I got the candy and it was swell. I passed it around once, but I put the rest in my barracks bag. They don’t know about that. I’ve gotten several rolls of papers, too. I got the pictures today and was I glad. There’s nothing much I’d rather have than pictures.
Margie’s folks are just plain simple people. They’d do anything for you and I feel just as much at home there as any place. I’m gonna hate to leave Margie. I’d rather have her than any girl I’ve met yet and her folks are so nice, too. (Don’t get the idea that I’m getting married or anything because Margie’s too young for that. And what would I do with her.)
Jane T. hasn’t written for quite awhile, but I got a letter today. She said she’d seen you. It must have gotten on her conscience, so she wrote. She’s a nice girl, but both Margie and Betty have her well behind. I’ve met Betty’s parents, too. Betty’s father is manager of a war plant in Rochester, but she’s not the least different from anyone else.
I got a letter from Dad today, too. He seems to be moving around quite a bit. Hope his work goes OK. I guess that’s the thing he wanted to do. I’d really like to have that farm some day. I’d like the chance to can some Uncles, too. I just can’t stomach that guy. If you want the truck, just get it. You know what I did with it while I was home. I got away with murder, didn’t I. Sure like to fish again. Probably forget how before I get back.
Don’t worry about the plane. I have another now, but the weather’s still bad. Yes, we all saw the wreck. Just stood and watched. He got stuck at the edge of the runway and we’d just pushed him out. I propped the plane to get it started. He had a line boy running every which way, too. Just kinda floated like into the planes and chewed them up. We were expecting the gas tanks to go, but they didn’t.
Love,
Roy
November 7, 1943
Dear Mother,
I got another hour yesterday and some fun along with it. It was cloudy and very hazy. I went up at 3:20. Got to my area and did a few stalls and it closed down. We tried to find our way out and couldn’t. Wind was blowing pretty hard and after an hour we were well lost. We flew down roads and read the signs, flew into little towns, etc., but neither of us had ever heard of any of them. We had about 20 minutes of gas left and I saw some big oil tanks. I knew it was Oil City because Margie had taken me there the last Sunday. He didn’t know anything about it. We started back the road to Meadville and came to a Y. Didn’t know where to go so we went back and tried to find Oil City airport and couldn’t do that. We finally got it down in a field 7 miles out with about five cents worth of gas left. Tied her down for the nite and started back--7 miles to Oil City, 28 miles to Sandy Lake, and 25 miles to Meadville. I drug in at two AM. Had quite a time. You should see folks stare at two guys lugging parachutes down the road. We ate, took a bus, thumbed, etc. Some fun. They now call me “Wrong Way Van”. Gonna give my instructor a string.
Love,
Roy
November 15, 1943
Dear Mother,
Have two hours to kill in St. Louis. Snowed hard all Saturday in Meadville. Have Pullmans. Thompson’s gave us three boxes of food. I sent big box (COD)--horn, watch to fix, etc.
Love,
Roy
Recollections……
The months at Allegheny College were like a paid vacation at a high class resort. Facilities were superb, surroundings beautiful, people at the college and in town friendly. I was on the threshold of being an ‘officer and a gentlemen’. Miseries of ground combat training were a fading memory.
Studies seemed more of a weeding out rather than an instructional process. Subjects taught were covered too quickly to have much of a lasting impact. An instructor in a physics class told us at the start that the pace would be intense. Should we drop a pencil during his lecture we should leave it on the floor. Bending over to get it would put one too far behind to ever catch up. He was about right!
The best job on the post fell to me. Bugler! Playing trumpet in high school band paid off handsomely. So what’s so great about being the post bugler? First, the bugler is not AWOL if he is missing at bed check; he’s out blowing taps. The OD never checks to see when he returns. Second, the bugler is not penalized for a messy room in the morning; he’s out blowing reveille.
Cadets usually had Sundays free with off-post privileges. One Sunday early in my tour at Allegheny I had blown reveille and returned to my room. My roommate and I planned to investigate the city that day, but we were in no hurry to get started. Big mistake!
The OD came to our room and said, “Some lady in town wants two cadets for Sunday dinner. You guys are it! There’s no one else on post. She’ll pick you up out front at noon sharp.”
A car rolled up right on time. A brunette of some stature got out and said, “Hi! I’m Viola! My mother says to tell you she has three unmarried daughters, but not to worry. She’s not trying to marry any of them off.” She didn’t have to try. I managed that all on my own.
Marge or Betty; Betty or Marge?? Those two girls presented more of a problem for me than flight training. Both were pretty; both were fun to be with; both were ready and willing to accept dates with me.
Betty was on campus and available when I was restricted to post. Off post Marge and her family made a fabulous home away from home. In the beginning I harbored no thoughts of a lasting relationship with either of them. Even so, I felt sneaky and manipulative dating which ever one best fit my immediate situation.
Early on Marge became my choice. She and her family were an unbeatable combination.
Betty was a fine person; a good-looking and intelligent woman. For me that was the problem with Betty. She was a woman; not a girl. Though only twenty she was in her senior year at Allegheny; I was a freshman and would still be one when the war ended perhaps years in the future.
Betty was from an urban background and a well-to-do family. I could not envision her in a Kentucky farm setting. Further, she was an aggressive female; she had marriage on her mind. She made me nervous; play-time was as serious as I wanted to get. Early on I felt that I would never choose her, yet I selfishly held on to and encouraged our relationship till the end of the war. That deceit is a guilt I still feel.
Mary, she with the gold front tooth, was my first date (only one date) in Meadville. I met her in a restaurant during my first pass into town. Much to the consternation of Marge she showed up outside the church when Marge and I were married.
A pretty girl, good home cooking, and a car. Such was an impossible dream for a guy in military service. Yet I got all of this when I went to Marge’s home. Her folks used much of their small gas ration showing me the surrounding country. Some of the food they piled on my plate also took ration coupons.
One Sunday evening I stayed too late. Taps needed to sound in fifteen minutes. I drove; Marge was in the passenger seat; Dad Carl the back seat. Faster! Through a stop sign I missed seeing! Flashing lights! A city patrolman glared down at me.
Dad Carl tried to explain me to the officer. He’s new to the neighborhood, and .... He got a roared, “YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!” All was lost. I had caused my girl friend’s father grievous humiliation. Tomorrow there would be a new bugler on post. Fortunately, I got only a lecture; blew lights out just barely on time.
Several Cubs were flying that day. One flew level; another angled upward on it’s takeoff climb. There’s a blind spot directly beneath these planes; another above and rearward. Neither pilot saw the other’s plane. Two instructors and two students died. This I omitted from my letters to Mother.
Several of us shared the same plane. I was practicing packing my chute; my buddy was in the plane with our instructor getting ready to fly. Several other planes were similarly parked along the runway; others were flying. Much rain had fallen the night before. Large puddles were everywhere. A plane went into its takeoff run. Just as it was becoming airborne its right wheel hit a deep puddle yanking the plane sharply toward the parked planes. At an altitude of about ten feet it ripped the line of planes, its propeller cutting them to bits. Our plane was destroyed. My buddy got out just as it hit catching the lanyard of his chute on something as he went. The chute billowed out all over the place earning him a lifelong reputation for bailing out at zero altitude. Fortunately no one was hurt.
The tip of the float barely showed above the top of the gas cap. Our plane was going to be on the ground soon one way or another. We were totally lost. My instructor, up from Texas just the day before so not familiar with the area, was now doing all of the flying. He buzzed several tiny farm fields trying to find a place to land in the rugged Pennsylvania country side. He crossed one little hay field a couple of times at no more than fifty feet looking for obstacles; then set our little Cub down with hardly a bump.
With the plane tied down securely we shouldered our chutes, walked to the nearby highway, and stuck out our thumbs. Would it be wishful thinking to have two girls come by in a late model car? Such was the case. They knew the location of the bus station and schedules. There was plenty of time to stop at this tavern, so said the girls. There was. We did. Only by such a far out set of circumstances resulting in a past midnight arrival on post did I escape the consequences of having made a date with both Marge and Betty for the same time Sunday evening.
Leaving Allegheny was like leaving home. It was nearly two years before I got back. When I returned it was for a wedding - Marge’s and mine.