October 17, 1943

                                                            Oct 17
Dear Folks:
            1 P.M. Eastern time and am somewhere in the middle of Georgia. Am writing this on the train so you may have to de-code it. This is a Pullman. Were supposed to fly to Tampa, Florida but the weather was bad so they put us on the train. Just stopped in Macon, Ga. wherever that is.
            See pine trees, shacks, mules, cotton, corn, darkies, and red clay. We are going to MacDill Field near Tampa for a weeks training in the workings of the B-26. The outfit we are in at Godman Field is a tactical unit and we new men go in as co-pilots. While we new men are at MacDill Field the rest of the outfit will be out on maneuvers and living in pup tents and eating out of mess kits.
            Mon. Morning. Just got into Tampa at 7 A.M. — 37 hours on the train to 5 hrs. it would have taken on the plane. Haven’t been on to the field yet & am sending this from the station. Rather cool here this morning. All for now.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. Won’t have an address here but note the small change in the one I gave you before.