April, 1944 Closes: Jack's first airplane ride. "The earth takes on a whole different look from up there"

 April 25 1944

Dear Ma

Ill try to write you a letter but don't know how far I'll get with it. 

We flew this morning & it sure got me down. I personally don't care much about flying although its some thing different. It sure isn't what I thought it would be. We flew around 150 and it seemed like we were just standing still. The earth takes on a whole different look from up there but around here the country isn't worth the 2nd look any way. We figured out we went around 700 miles in those few hours but all in all I have driven 700 miles & felt a while lot better than I did when I got down. We got up at 4:00 & made our beds & dressed & was out side by 4:15. We rushed over to chow & stood in line for 30 minutes & then rushed in & ate. We got back out side & went down to the line & there wasn't any more planes. Well we swept out a building & they told us to go load up a plane & get parachutes. We did such & they told us to change to another B17. Well all in all we got started at 8 oclock & then flew till 11:30 & came down hoping we were through. They told us to load up again & take off so we did such. We get up there & waisted a hour for a tow plane & didn't get one so came down & unloaded all the ammunitions that we had just loaded. We took off for lunch ate a quick bite & fell out for classes. Got off at 5:30 & redressed & ate. It's now 7 o'clock so don't ask me what I in my spare time. 

We live in tents out there & it's 50 miles from Vegas, but don't look for it on the map because you won't find it. We came out Sun Mon & tope to go back Sun morning. 

Well Ill close because I have to study for a test & shave & hit the hay. I have KP. for 3 hours tomorrow morning. 

Jack

New stationery! It has the familiar propellor/wings logo and underneath reads: A.A.F. FLEXIBLE GUNNERY SCHOOL L.V.A.A.F. Las Vegas, NEVADA

April 28 1944

Dear Ma

I guess I ought to get busy & write you a letter seening that I haven't for a while. I have a good excuse though. I wrote you one letter and misplaced it & haven't had time to write another. They have kept us rather busy up to this after noon. We have been gettin up at 4 rushing over to eat & then get a plane loaded with ammo & such & then taking off. We fly about 4 hours & by that time / when we get down we have to clean up the plane & go eat again. It's usually around 12:30 or 1 o'clock we then fall out at 130 & go to class till 530 & then go eat again. Well it's 630 to 7 o'clock by the time we get through. We have to shave & such & by the time we get done its time to go to bed & get up & start all over. I have gotten 12 hours in since (the air) we got here & I don't know of any thing you can do, where there is less work, that is more tiring. When we get down we are so tired we don't know which way to go. Most of the guys get sick in the air but little me I just stand around & laff at them, my turn will probable come up yet though. I don't get much sick out of flying but I guess it's all right. We went over the edge of Death Valley one day & another trip we flew over Bolder Dam, Bolder City, the other Field & Las Vegas. I t was the most interesting trip we have had so far. I rode the tail most of the time & got quite a kick out of it. Back there you are all by your self and you get a pretty good sight of every thing you go past. I also have ridden the nose a lot & from there you get a darn good view of every thing.

I didn't like the instructors the first few days but the ones we had last day were swell. The pilots are pretty good fellows too.

You can tell Nene I was on K.P. the other morning but its only for 3 house so it wasn't bad for a change. 

The weather here is cooler than in Vegas & seems like just as windy. We live in tents so we notice it that much more. We also got a nice little shower to day, in fact darn good for Nevada.

We are around 50 miles from The other Field & out in the middle of no where. There's a little filling station up the road & a few houses around a spring. out side of that we can fly for hours at a time & never see a house. 

Well I'll close for now & try to get some sleep. 

Jack 

Here's a part training/part propaganda film about gunnery school and filmed in Nevada. I'll bet dollars to donuts that this movie was one of the ones Jack wrote about in previous letters. Watch Ronald Reagan and Burgess Meredith in "The Rear Gunner" (1943).

 Next: Jack finishes up gunnery school and is about to get his wings.