December 12, 1943

                                                            Dec 12.
Dear Folks:
            Sat. nite. Just got back from the show and have the radio on. It has been raining lightly ever since last Monday so haven’t flown any. Have been getting lots of lectures and ground school. We get the benefit of lectures from men that have seen combat. Right now we have a refinement in the system of gunnery that has come back from combat and it sounds pretty good.
            Just found out last week that our tail gunner is from Junction City. He is an enlisted man, a sargeant, and doesn’t say much so I didn’t know until now where he was from. We also got our new plane last week. Its brand new and maybe you think we’re not touchy about it! No one but the crew can get within 100 ft. of it and we keep it locked all the time. Of course we will have to check it from end to end and get everything to suit us. We have a good crew chief who is very careful about details. A crew chief is in charge of the ground crew. There is a ground crew (for maintenance) for each ship as well as a combat crew for each plane. We also have to find a new for the ship.
            Sunday. Went up to the line this morning to watch the crew chief “pre-flight” the new ship then went to chapel. Last nite after coming home from the show, Lt. Quick and I went to the officers mess next door to get coffee and sandwiches. When we were about half thru eating something plugged the chimney up. The “good” coal we use had a nice smoke screen layed down in the mess hall in short order. We gulped the coffee and made for the door. This afternoon I went along as passenger on a “ship bombing” mission and for the first time in my life got air-sick. I was riding in the tail and wasn’t used to the roughness.
            Got Jo’s box Thurs. It included green fig cookies, home made cookies, and 2 white handkerchiefs. Wind is turned to north and blowing hard to-nite. I’m writing this at the dispensary since I’m O.D. to-nite and am duty until 12 P.M.
            (inside of Christmas card)

                                                            [no card]