Pre-Flight School
A/C Roy N. Van Arsdall
AAFPS (Pilot) SAACC
Wing II, Group U, Sq. 287, Cl.44I
San Antonio, Texas
January - March 1944
January 9, 1944
Dear Mother,
Well, Mother, I’m across the road on the very first of my real work. Just the beginning, but an awful lot of guys never get this far. Remember how much I’ve gone through to get here.

Classified pilots marching to pre-flight
We’re in these little black tar-paper covered barracks. Just one story. Room for 24, but we only have 14. Good single beds, 3 oil heaters (oil heats the camp). Have a table for two and a chair apiece. Latrine is off by itself, but things look like there’re going to be OK. Class rooms are just little huts, too. The rest of the camp has the big white barracks, but I’m satisfied.
We have only commissioned officers over us. We rank between a master sergeant and a warrant officer so no noncom is above us. A lot of fellows will have to wash out because they just couldn’t use the 1,000’s that come in here every nine weeks.
I’ll be very busy with seven days a week and maybe some night classes and I know studying at night, so don’t look for too much. I can always find time to read mail, though.
Love,
Roy
January 10, 1944
Dear Dad,
Well, I’ve been a cadet for two days now. Took a long time just to get to the starting line. But its something just to have gotten this far because over half the guys I started with have already hit the road. I guess the government is particular who they spend all that money on.
I rank between master sergeant and warrant officer. Base pay of $75.00 and $30.00 ration money, but they take the $30.00 back and some out of the $75.00.
All our instructors are officers. No noncoms over us at all.
Classes run 7 days a week. Don’t know how they’ll be yet, but I think I can get through here. The flying part is where I’m going to have to push the stick and hope. As the Lieu said, “Any man can fly if he has time.” That’s one thing we won’t have.
I sent $50.00 home the other day. Spent quite a bit for Christmas, but I’d rather have friends and letters from my girls and everyone than the money right now.
We have tar-paper barracks with three oil stoves. Plenty of room, nice beds, trunk, tables, chairs, good places for belongings, and big cracks in the building. Got cold as the devil last night. Our granary is much tighter. Had a GI party last night and inspection this morning at 10:00 (Sunday).
I’m having Mother an 8” by 10” made if the proofs come out OK. Those other pictures were very poor. Wish I’d thrown them away.
Hope everything rolls OK with you.
Roy
January 12, 1944
Dear Mother,
Today I’m CQ and don’t do a darn thing but stay around and clean up a bit. Did you get the $50.00?
Tomorrow we start classes. Four hours in the morning of math, code, maps, and something else. In the afternoon two hours of PT and two hours of military instruction. Sunday has one extra hour for church and then the regular schedule. Our only time off is Saturday night from 6 - 10 pm. Probably go nuts, but maybe I can stand it for nine weeks. If I could do it under civilian circumstances it would be very easy, but this is so rigidly military it’s pitiful. You’ve heard how cadets are. Darn glad we don’t have the class system to put up with.
This outfit is really parade happy. The guys stood at attention and marched for 1 hr 35 minutes today. We’ll really be sticks when we get out. But we’ve been doing the same stuff for 6 months now.
I had you a picture made, but as usual I got my very big mouth stretched wide open. Was with two other guys and I got tickled and got more teeth than I intended. However, it couldn’t be too much worse that those others. It’s an 8 x 10 and I’ll get it in about two weeks.
Love, Roy
January 14, 1944
Dear Mother,
I got a letter, card, and that great big Christmas dinner letter. That was a nice one. I’ll try to write to the folks. It’s so long from a letter to its answer that I forget things I should have mentioned. I got the Christmas things in perfect order, Rog’s letter, and Dad’s $10.00. You can flip a coin and decide where the $50.00 goes. I suppose you could buy a couple of bonds if you want, but if you think it would be better in the bank, put it there.
Yesterday and today have been blizzard proportions. Not too cold, but has been snowing steadily. Icicles all over. Our barracks are summer affairs not near as tight as the granary. Just about like hog barn except eves are open. Three little stoves not too much power. Keep plenty warm at night, though. Two blankets and a comforter.
Had classes twice. Code with headphones, 2 hours. Maps and charts, pretty fast going, and math, not too hard. Drill, PT, etc. rest of the time. Have mess management and guard. Have to make up all classes at night.
Up in pressure chamber to 28,000 soon. Then to 38,000. Got clippings and all newspapers. Oh yes, I use the wood cigarette holder in my blouse at town, the other here. Very good lighter. Got letter and picture from Edythe. Write her soon. Say hello. Rushed now.
You might send watch band some time. Could wear it now.
Love,
Roy
January 18, 1944
Dear Mother,
As I told Edythe, I’ve never in my life had so much to do in so little time.
Our two days mess management are over. From 5 am till 8 pm. Work is very easy compared. Only in dining room. When we eat, we just get anything we want.
Last night, after 2 days KP, we had a math test. All classes are made up at night and they get a lot of the day periods by various means. Found out this morning that I got 100 in the test. One other fellow did too (in 2 squadrons). Several failed, but it was a relatively easy test.
Saturday I went to 28,000 in the pressure chamber. Right then you know why you have to be physically perfect. A guy with air under a filling got a terrible tooth ache. Not too bad going up. Air too thin to even whistle. At 28,000 without oxygen a fellow acts like a baby for about 5 minutes and then he’s gone. I told Edythe some of the things. Pressure on ears is awful if you can’t get them cleared. Enough pressure than when you blow on your nose cold air goes in your ears with a big hiss. Stomach gases expand 5 times (Just got a roll of papers). Oh yes, Gen. Brandt, Britain’s Air Marshall (the big shot), 5 cols., and a Capt. watched my bunch in the chamber (Glass port holes). More later.
Love,
Roy
January 24, 1944
Dear Mother,
This is Sunday about 9 am. We have from 8-10 that we can go to church. Then we have the regular day. Makes Sunday just that much longer. I used the time to study. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been to the PX, about a block away, only once. Always study till about 15 to ten. Then just time to wash and shave.
Went to the dentist at 6 pm yesterday. He filled two and has three to go. They grind as long as there’s a tooth there. He grinds even if there’s still a stain on it. The tooth is hot when he gets through.
Our math isn’t too hard, but we have just one lesson on each thing and plenty of work. How far a bomb will fall at x alt. (interesting) and speed, wind drift triangles, quite a bit of algebra on A and B going at different speeds, lots on graphs and charts. Finish soon and take physics.
Maps and charts failed about half the guys. Accuracy and conversion scales and trick questions are the trouble. They take a recheck and are held over for another term if they fail that. Naval identification takes place of that. Have the final exam (2/3 of grade) tomorrow.
Today we have a code check. Only be about five a minute. I can take around 8 because I’ve had it before. Some haven’t. Tough! Have to get five visual--flashes.
I have my picture back. No frame. Will send it soon as I can wrap it. You’ll have to get a frame. Got watch band OK.
Love,
Roy
January 25, 1944
Dear Mother,
We finished math, and maps and charts today. Have a little math left, but naval identification is in place of maps and charts. Ships are pretty darn confusing. We really study here. Guys even carry a book to the latrine. And I mean just that.
Went to 38,000 this afternoon. Didn’t have any trouble. One fellow had ear trouble, another a mild case of the bends. Two took their masks off. They didn’t even last one minute.
I’ll mail you the picture Wednesday. Be my first chance at the post office.
Sorry to hear about Jack Evans.
Yes, we get fed better here than probably anywhere except some officers some where. However, our officers always come to the big meals and Sunday dinner. Five quarts of milk to a table at breakfast, sometimes more during the day. They have steak, chicken, ham, pork chops, etc. all the time. Cafeteria style, but no waiters, take what you want. Just pour out all the peaches, etc that you want. Always a desert. Pie, cake, etc. With pie, always ice cream and it’s pretty often, maybe every fifth meal. Negro cooks, white sergeant.
Older cadets mean nothing now. We have our own officers, of which I’m squadron supply sergeant. Only difference is they wear blue tags and we red. I’ll be a blue tagger in 2 weeks.
Sound code is not bad as I’ve had it before, but blinker is pretty hard.
Love,
Roy
January 26, 1944
Dear Mother,
I suppose I should be studying battle ships right now, but I’m completely tired of studying. I wound up in maps and charts with 90 on the first (counted 1/3) and 94 on the second (counting (2/3). Not but a couple guys beat me out of the group. Grades were pretty poor as a whole. Over half the fellows would stay back if they hadn’t lowered the grades. Still 40 have 55 percent and below. They’re taking a recheck tomorrow.
On math I have 100 percent and 90 percent. One more test, and all I have to make to pass the course is 20 more points out of 100. The fellows did about the same on math as on the others.
I figure if I can’t fly that plane, then OK. But I won’t go out because of something I just didn’t study. Maybe a few good grades wont hurt my record.
We’ve been going pretty hard since we’ve been here. Tomorrow was to be our first day off. Open hill they call it. Just freedom they call it. Well, we have to take PT from 8-10, medical lecture at 3, and haircut formation at 4:30. And all chow formations must be met. Not very free, is it?
It’s hot enough now that we sweat a good deal on parades. Pretty darn warm. In the summer the fellows wear shorts all the time.
Went down and saw Alababa and the 40 Thieves tonight. Pretty good. On the way back you could see all the lights of San Antonio. It’s a little below us and about 6 miles away. Really beautiful. All the buildings lit up. In the day it just looks like a big white fairy land. buildings up to 40 stories and white. Kelly Field is just under us. It’s real big, too. (Our camp, 1/2 mile to Kelly, then 6 miles to San Antonio).
Tonight somehow or other reminded me of some of our first of June fishing days. Warm and the moon out and I just felt like I should be looking out across the water. Funny how you remember things so small that you’ve done.
When I get home there’s several things I’m gonna make up on. One is sleep. But I just want to get up and go some where without having to be told, not sign out, not ask for a pass or have something hanging over my head if I didn’t get back just right.
If I make it I’ll finish some time in October. Then they’ll probably give me a few days off. If I wash out (which I’m not planning on) then I might get home then. Might have to go some where else to a school first. But I don’t want to get home that way right now.
I’ve had the picture wrapped up so I’ll probably get it off with this letter.
Say hello to everyone for me. I just can’t possibly write to very many, so you can tell the folks the same things that I’d tell them.
Love,
Roy
January 28, 1944
Dear Dad,
Got pretty good grades so far, but it’s pretty rugged work. Be half through in a little while. Blinker code and ship identification has been hardest. Probably get through here and smash up a plane or they’ll have enough or something. I think not however.
Roy

Study, Study, Study!!
January 31, 1944
Dear Mother,
We just got off PT (physical training) and I have a few minutes off. It rained and we just had to run. Our regular class is two hours long. Pretty rugged. At Allegheny we ran as far as 8 miles without stopping. Here we run two miles against time. Can you imagine me running to MamMaw’s and back in 11 minutes? Well, that’s what I do it in now. And I believe it’s just a little further. Before I leave here, I’ll probably have it down a bit more. We always run the two miles and then take our regular course.
I’m having a little trouble with blinker code. No trouble getting what it says, but did you ever try to write blind? We have to watch the blinker steadily and write without looking. Out papers are fixed _ _ _ _ _. We have to have five letters on each line. Wrong grouping is failure because messages are decoded by those groupings. I can get 12 words a minute with the head phones. That is steady writing. All letters are printed, too.
Study of naval vessels is pretty hard. We learn both the U.S. and British navies in 12 hours. There’s very little difference you can tell in a one second flash. (Planes are a 1/10 second flash). I see now that there’s lots of things they don’t tell. We can tell what ships we have and what we don’t. Of course all the ships we know are sunk and marked out. Then orders came through to forget the Nevada, Arkansas, Maryland--all B B’s of the U.S. fleet that were never announced sunk. Then last year the Germans claimed to have sunk the U.S. carrier Ranger. We denied. We have marked the Ranger off our study list. Also the British Renown and a list of U.S. cruisers. Lots of cruisers and fast merchant men were converted to carriers when the war broke out.
One Lieu here was telling us about his brother. The class started out with 205 men well before the war. They were carrier based pilots. When the war started there were only five left and three of them got it the first day. He doesn’t think much of the small carriers. I don’t either, but I have a whole field to land in.
Three of the fellows in this barracks were just washed back. They failed maps and charts. One fellow has been along since Allegheny. He was commander there and is here. That’s mainly what took his time. He even got a recheck and the passing mark was lowered, but he still didn’t make it. They don’t need boys like a year ago. They told us that much. Primary is kinda jammed up. We’re really going to have to fly like demons to get through.
I have pretty close to top grades, I’m taking as many words in code as most. Most are still pretty low, however. I got 90 percent in the first N.I. test. Have a 94 percent and 90 percent in maps and charts (through) and a 100 percent and 90 percent in math, one test to go. All I have to get is 20 percent on next math test to pass. Still very hard stuff ahead. 150 planes, physics, etc. Get the picture?? I got your photos, papers, etc.
Love,
Roy
February 5, 1944
Dear Mother,
Got a few minutes between now and chow time. “Chow”. Funny, isn’t it? Just the same as I used to say supper or something else just as common. There’s lots of things like that that’ll probably surprise you when I come home. You wouldn’t understand half the language we use. I can’t picture myself at home drilling a crew of men. But here I can go right on and bellow stuff at them that’s very plain to them. If someone pronounces a word that’s distinguishable, he is at once called a “yiep”, air corps rookie.
Had our final naval identification today taking all British and U.S. craft. Don’t know for sure what I made , but I’m pretty sure I passed. Had a 90 on the first one. We had a lot of flash cards and I cut all the pictures out of my workbook. Had about 300 different pictures. We studied deck line, turrets, stacks super structures and everything.
Tomorrow we take up AC identification. That’s going to be about the hardest. It has been only US and British. Now we have Jap and German, too. We have to know army and navy designation, kind and type of engines, HP, length, wingspan, and be able to give a detailed description of each. I haven’t any idea how many there are. But since half our loss in the African campaign was due to miss-identity, well....The first formation of Liberators in combat was completely destroyed by P-38’s.
We get an open hill Sunday. Then we get four open posts before we leave. Just lack a couple days being half through.
Blinker code is still a little vague. I’ve already passed the requirement in sound code. Have to take it till we leave anyhow. You must keep your eyes open, too. If you even blink them at the wrong time you’ve missed a dit and that’s a ‘D’ on a test. Requirements for that have been raised considerably.
Physics started two days ago.
I bought a $25 bond pay day. Haven’t gotten it yet, but will send it soon. Raised my allotment to $12.50 per month.
Got my two pictures, the pack of film, and everything. You should have my picture by now. Odd, isn’t it? Oh, if you have a chance you might send me one of my little mirrors.
Love,
Roy
February 11, 1944
Dear Mother,
We changed schedule today. Classes in the afternoon and other work in the morning. I’d just as soon mark this day off the books. Nothing seemed to work right. I couldn’t keep awake in AI and that’s a tough nut to crack. Learning the German and Jap motors is bad enough, but when they flash you a distant dot at 1/10 second, then is when I get disgusted.
I’m taking 11 words in code and today they couldn’t get the machine regulated. It came at all kinds of speeds.
And then physics is plenty deep. It’s gonna take quite a few hours of concentration. If Rog thinks algebra is hard he ought to get into some of this junk. No one else is going to worry whether he gets it or not. If you flunk, then it’s just a wash and you’re on your own. I had enough algebra to cover my high school year of it. It had to come back to me quick, too. If he doesn’t learn it himself it’ll be tough. We just lost 5 out of our meager 17 because they couldn’t catch on quick enough.
I’ve studied so darn many different things since I’ve been in school that I don’t think I’ll ever get out.
We started on the 45 today. Have to fire it, sub, and carbine before we leave.
Enclosing bond I got pay day. Just got it. Had open post yesterday. Very dumb and no good.
Love,
Roy
February 16, 1944
Dear Mother,
Just got back from a very tiring parade. Our group is pretty close to the top and the officers want to win the Dartmouth Trophy, so you can see what they want to do.
Everything is still OK in school; the AI is bothering me. We have our first test in it tomorrow. Made 100 on my first physics test. Surprised me, too. Have two more tests in that yet. Only have to pass 6, so no worry there. Long as I can study something, I reckon I can finally get it, but there are lots of things you just have to have. Flying a plane is going to be one of those things I’ll just have to have. It’s not so long off now, either.
Tell Rog he’d better get in there and study that stuff he’s having trouble with. Lots of examples here. Guys who’d give a leg to fly, but just can’t get the work done. They’re pretty bitter about not having studied in the past, too.
If you don’t have a pretty good idea of the subject before you start, then it’s not going to be too easy with the time we have.
Sunday we had an open post. Had a date with a student nurse I found in town. We saw Frankie Master’s band and a stage show, couple movies, tea dance at the club, and saw a couple floor shows. Got a package from Aunt Emma. Write soon. Did you get the bond I sent? Gotta study.
Love,
Roy
February 17, 1944
Dear Mother,
Just a letter to send back your letter. Yes, each fellow got one sent to his parents. They are all coming from home to us. (note: the General telling our parents what great guys we are, but that we wont be allowed furloughs except in dire emergency).
Fog all day. Couldn’t hit the hillside with that 45 today. And I messed up an aircraft test by putting the designations in the wrong column. As if I didn’t miss enough without that. I’ll probably get through, (I hope), but it was very unnecessary.
I feel like I’ve already studied enough to get a college degree. I get tired of this junk all the time. Primary in three weeks. And I’m either gonna fly the devil out of that plane or wind up the ball. I still think I can make it go, though. Looks like they’re still gonna need a few hot pilots over there yet.
Yes, shaving mirror was right.
Oh, yes, Betty sent me a box of candy for Valentines. I’m guilty of sending not one.
I’m getting letters from girls from Mississippi to Pennsylvania and South Carolina to Texas. Nice to get letters, but I can’t answer them all. I usually get from 3 to 8 every day. Even the girl that took me in the time I got lost is still writing. Big shot, you know!
Love,
Roy
February 19, 1944
Dear Mother,
You hear the very same things in every letter, but I’ll write anyhow.
Got the cookies OK and none of them were smashed. You didn’t need Mrs. Thompson’s recipe. You’ve been making the same oatmeal cookies as she for years. We just ate the last this morning.
Rained and there’s no parade this morning. Stand by inspection inside. Had a good laugh. One fellow was standing on a chair taking his radio from the rafters. He got over-balanced and landed right in a 3 gallon bucket of water. He really spread things.
Last night we had an hour of blinker at about 300 yards. Marched about a mile and it drizzled most of the time.
We get an open post Monday, but have a physics test Sunday. Got 100 on the first, but will have to really study up tonight. I even got 29 out of 30 on aircraft. Highest in class. He counted my wrong columns.
We’re getting a little of your cold wave now. You could take down tobacco most every day here.
Rog must be rough on typewriters. If I had to pay for it, I think I’d just smash it up good. My limit there was 24 cents for a window.
Love,
Roy
February 24, 1944
Dear Mother,
It was pretty here today. First clear day for quite a while. Just like a spring day at home. Even the birds got up enough courage to sing.
My last physics test was 95 percent. Disappointed because I labeled an answer ft. lb. instead of lb. Lost five points. Had another AI test today. Don’t know what I made, but I know I passed.
Blinker is what’s bad now. Just one bat of the eye could cost 4 1/2 weeks more here. You have to have 25 letters straight out of 75 right to pass. I usually miss just 3 in the wrong places. On practice runs I sometimes make it, and sometimes not. It gripes me because I can get 12 words audible and this is only 5.
You can’t guess what I’m doing with that mirror. Yes, I have it around my neck copying the blinker which is behind me. Only 3 hours code left. Learning a few fundamentals I studied so long in the infantry now.
I think I have physics and AI and audible code cinched. Only blinker to worry over, so....
Love,
Roy
February 26, 1944
Dear Dad,
Not much to write that I haven’t already told Mother.
Got pretty hot here today. That wool collar nearly ate my neck up. We don’t change over till April 15. Tomorrow we get an issue of low cuts. Really nice looking.
There’s a chance (rumor) that I may have to take bombardier or navigator. Seems they are a little short of them. They have plenty of pilots. Not even taking in many more. CTD’s closed, too.
This work here is nearly done. Last final is next Thursday. Wind up code tomorrow. Required 6 words in audible and 5 in blinker. I think I can put a 12 in audible in my record. Blinker is pretty tough for most. Think I can make it though. Sixteen words is about as fast as you can write, maybe 20. Typewriter from there on.
My grades are about the best in the outfit. That may help if I can’t fly. However, I’m not planning on not flying. Nothing below 90 and most above 95 percent. Little extra work keeping supply records. Wear inverted sergeant stripes.
Glad you’re putting away some money for me. Have a little something to show for the years in here. I’ll save what I can. Have $12.50 out per month for bonds. Wish me luck with these power houses and keep things rolling.
Roy
February 28, 1944
Dear Mother,
Have about 30 minutes before PT. Didn’t do anything this morning but rest.
Had our final in blinker and code yesterday. Passed them both. Nothing left to do in code but run up as high a count as I can. It doesn’t make any difference. All classes will be over Thursday, but we still have a week after that. Don’t know what we’ll do.
I need 15 percent of the next physics test to pass and can miss 21 out of 45 planes and pass. Nothing to worry about. There’s always a chance that they wont have room in primary. Numbers are drawn to see who will take 4 1/2 weeks post graduate work.
Don’t think your plane was in any danger. Just recognition lights.
Talked to a gunner (fort) that had fought a lot in the Pacific. Said the dogfight days were over. U.S. fighters take just one pass at Japs and leave. Hit a Zero and he explodes, but he said we just couldn’t out maneuver a Zero. Saw just one dog fight between a P-51 (our best) and a Zero. Zero shot him down. Said Zero’s come in on Forts from both sides in a slow roll and nearly impossible to hit, but when they did hit them they go. One Zero waits near tail to occupy tail and top gunner.
In last five days I got 8 letters from M. Thompson. She wrote from 2 to 6 pages on both sides, too. I’ll get bracelet fixed soon.
Love,
Roy
March 2, 1944
Dear Mother,
Just got back from open post. Came in early about 7:00. Only three of us here now.
All we did today was eat and make a couple of shows. Our nurses can’t get out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They come out to see us Sunday afternoons.
Tomorrow is the big dance for our group. They are coming out for that.
Stock and I worked all Tuesday morning making out invitations to gals that guys had invited.
Last test is AI in the morning. Wound up physics with a 97 average. Passed 12 words in code.
We’re here till around 10th or 12th. Will take up lots of PT, drill, sub machine gun, aerial photos, etc. Oh, and a day of KP.
Can’t tell much about what’s coming, but I’ll soon know the story.
Enclosing $30.00. Put it in the bank. I’ll be bond and insurance poor if I ever do get out. Pay my insurance out of what I send home. I don’t want it on Dad’s shoulders when I can’t help. He has enough trouble and has already done more than his part for me.
Love,
Roy
March 7, 1944
Dear Mother,
Classes are all over, but a lot of us will still have to stay over for post graduate work. 3,300 in camp, about 1,300 washed back and have room in primary for only 1,500. They do it like taking every fifth man, etc.
My grades were pretty good. Haven’t heard of any better yet. Got 97 in physics, 95 in math (got 97 but is only 95 on record--no difference), 96 in naval identification, and 93 in maps and charts, 12 words in audible code and 5 in blinker code.
Yesterday we went to town for the last time. Got a ‘41 Dodge from 2 pm till 8:30 pm. Just went all over the place. Everywhere and did nothing.
Four of us boys--one from Montana, one Pennsylvania, one from Massachusetts and me. I’d met a girl out at our dance and she knew 2 more (roommates). They are radio operators at Kelly Field.
One of them was from Texas, and darn pretty, too, one from Chicago, one from New Jersey (mine), also darn pretty, and one from Pennsylvania (going to Lady of the Lake Catholic college). She knew the fellow back home (Pa). Don’t see how they can afford to let cars out like that. All we did cost only $11.05. Not much to us cut four ways. Leave Friday? Saturday? Sunday? If I’m lucky.
Love,
Roy
March 9, 1944
Dear Mother,
Well, mother, looks like it’s kinda up to whether I can or can’t now.
I leave around Saturday morning. It’s Mustang Field at El Reno, Oklahoma. From the looks on the map its about 25 miles from Oklahoma City.
Haven’t the slightest idea what it will be like, but it wont be Texas (not that Texas is so bad, but it will be terrifically hot both places, I expect). Something new, anyhow.
We’ll fly PT-19’s, if that means anything to you. Wont take long to see what I can do with them.
From what I hear, we’ll fly the second or third day. And you have to solo between 8 and 12 hours--or else!!!
Classification is entirely closed now, so are all CTD’s, and this place is on the distinct down grade. We are the last in this group. Guess they have about enough of us. Only 20 are going to El Reno. Best friends, though.
Love,
Roy
March 11, 1944
Dear Mother,
Just got back from the show. It was “Uninvited” and very spooky.
We load up at 12:15 Sunday. Rations up through the 9th were taken out of our last pay, but we had to pay for the last three days out of our pockets.
I guess we get about the best food there is. You should hear our dates gripe about what they have to eat, and they go half wild over butter. Milk is also hard to get in town.
Middy, my gal from New Jersey, says they have one egg, a cup of coffee, and two pieces of toast (no butter) for breakfast.
I know we always eat butter like we would at home, and there’s all the milk you can drink at breakfast.
Stuff is there and you just take all you want. Peaches, fruit cocktail, etc.---just fill up a big bowl of it. They have all kinds of cake and pie---and always cake and pie two meals a day. And ice cream is practically like bread.

Hardly an infantry mess hall
At the officers table we come and go as we like, so there’s always plenty there. They don’t know whether you’ve eaten two or six pieces of pie.
Haven’t gained much, but I do weigh 155 now.
On KP all we do is burst and get sunburned lying out in the yard. You know they can’t put us in the kitchen like they used to. And they put about three times as many of us in the dining room as needed.
Our equipment was all shipped today, and we had a dry run on shipping (it has rained all day). Otherwise, we’ll lay around till time to go.
One fellow’s mother wrote the General, and he sent the guy home for primary. Pine bluff, Arkansas, I think. They do what they can about things like that. That wouldn’t happen in another service. Of course we don’t have any schools anywhere near close to home.
There are just 200 from this camp going to El Reno. Another place and something different.
One of my girls here, Lanell, the little nurse, is from Texas. She used to come out in the evenings when she could to see me. Middy, the radio gal, is from New Jersey, and is darn pretty and nice, too. I’m glad I got out and met something besides some of the jerks at Burgin. But I guess I’ll just have to find another gal in Oklahoma City.
This is a bit later. We ate and went over to the field house and played basketball for about 2 hours. It has about 8 courts in it. Something like UK has been wanting for a long time.
I sent you the last “Tailspinner” from here today. I’d like to look them over some time because our boys write them and it tells exactly what goes on.
Margie has moved (a block or so), but she still writes about a letter or two every day. I know one day I got two air mail and the next day four airmail. She must have got a burr or something. Betty writes, too. And so does Wilma, Jane, Dorothy, Dot, Jean, Juanita, Bertha, Lanell, Middy, Mary, Glena, and a few others. There are a few from home and a couple from each place I’ve been. Oh, it wouldn’t be in the least hard to get hooked, but I’m not hookable right now. I like ‘em all.
You see now why letter writing is a major problem? G.I. life is pretty routine so I’d just tell you the same thing if I wrote you too much.
Wilma is nice, but she’s not near as pretty as most all the others I’ve gone with. Marge, Betty, Dot, Glena, and Middy have been about the prettiest. This Middy is a nut and more fun, but very nice.
Of course I wanted to come in here with the rest of the guys and it’s the only place for me. I wouldn’t trade this for anything. We don’t feel hard at the guys that have stayed (other boys), but just mention quitting to one of these guys here!!!
When and if I get something of my own, it’s going to be my own. No partners to tie me down.
If I could ever learn to fly, I’d be very tempted to stay while I could. It’s not a bad outfit. At least as good as making a $1.00 and giving someone else 75 cents of it.
I got kinda cut off at UK, but I carried it out here and there, maybe even more extensively than there (UK). Along very different subjects of course.
I guess I’ve blown a lot of air and it all probably adds up to nothing, but I’ve had time to think about it, and every time you mention it I get burnt!!!
I may wind up somewhere coming out the little end of the horn, but I’m betting I at least get out of it.
My next letter will be from El Reno. Don’t write till I write to you, but it will be something like this: A/C R....32OAAFFTD, El Reno, Okla. Turned in my stripes today. Busted again!! Hah!!!
Love,
Roy
No Special Recollections