Wednesday August 16[1]
Dear Lydia [2]
The
impossible has happened, we have a free week-day evening – the first is some 3
weeks. The captain in charge of our flight thought we were getting a bit stale
& needed some diversion. There are only 8 more missions to go. I’ve stopped
counting the time to go in weeks, because they will go fast enough and in a
month from tonight I hope to go home on graduation leave, but whenever I
complete a flight I consider a great leap has been made towards graduation, and
the lower the number of remaining flights become the more speculation I can
give to the subject of whether it will be lieutenant or flight officer bars.
There is still enough uncertainty that I can’t be complacent. Yesterday we had
one of the most interesting missions to date. It was the first long hop we’ve
made & we went to Houma, a little navy base about 30 miles from New
Orleans, landed there, had dinner & refueled and flew a night mission back
to the base. Eight hours in the air on one day is mighty fatiguing strange as
it may sound. Although there’s no physical exertion you feel all wrung out due
to working under tension, the noise & vibration and the altitude. We used
radio & celestial navigation on the flight as we will on all the remaining
& I still am amazed whenever I show up within 20 miles of destination
within 5 minutes of E.T.A. on a radio or celestial mission. Up to now the
flights have been triangular courses to 3 points about 160 miles apart but from
now on they will be long straight runs.
I just had
a letter from Margaret today & she’s left Mexico
for Miami , in
fact she’s probably there now. I’m glad to know Mamma had a little vacation
with you – did she stay at your place? Regarding the suggestion you made that I
ask mamma to come down for graduation, I didn’t because I was afraid she might
accept. Much as I’d like to have someone I know at graduation, it would be
quite unsatisfactory without a car. There’s absolutely no place to stay in
Hondo and it’s awkward to come from San Antonio to Hondo unto the base &
I’d have so little free time before the graduation and it’s hot & there’d
be no place to visit, but the main reason is I’m hoping my class will get leave
after graduation before being sent to operational training. I wish we had more
definite information on graduation date – the 15th or 16th
seems indicated, but there’s a strong rumor for the eleventh, if I’d had an
idea I’d put in an airline reservation in San Antonio ;
it’s not much more than Pullman
on a long trip.
Before
Elizabeth & Marion returned to Fresno
I used to hear from Mamma occasionally, now I hear from no one so it hardly
pays to write. I still haven’t learned why Marion came or how long she intends to stay
or what were the emotions in receiving her.
If I
graduate & if I get a leave will you be in Fresno
on vacation then or should I route thro L.A.
for a day & half lay-over?
Would you
like any Yardley perfume, toilet water or shaving cream or bowl? There’s still
some left at the P.X. but soap sold out long ago.
Love
Bob[3]
Didn't mean to post a backward date, but had started to transcribe the letter before I noticed the date. Also, I'm pulling from Robert's wartime letters as that is such a major historical period, but do plan to expand time frame.
ReplyDeleteDoug