Don’t know what I’ll get

July 24, 1943

Dear Folks:
            Had an intermural air show this morning. The 6 best men in each squadron put on a competitive show in different events. The public was invited and there was quite a crowd. My squadron, the 5th, came out second with only 9 points below the winner. However, A flight of the 5th Squadron, also mine, won the safety plaque. We damaged one wing tip with no injury to personnel in about 3700 hr. flying time. Those of us who didn’t fly put on a drill formation.
            Sunday. It is cloudy and a little cooler to-day. This last week it has been unusually hot — 105°.
            “A” flight of 5th squadron had a picnic out at Lake Nasworthy yesterday afternoon. The “G.I. taxi” took us out and the instructors came also. There were several row boats there so we took some rides around the lake.
            My instructor, Lt. Watkins, says they can’t get a maid so he has to do the baby’s washing. The day after the baby came the four of us students were talking over the days work with him and he ask us if there were any questions. Schilke said there was one thing we had been wondering about and that was whether he preferred the 3 or 4-cornered type. Watkins looked blank for a minute and then, trying not to smile, said he preferred the 4 cornered.
            Went on another cross country to Hamilton and Cisco and back last Monday. We landed at both places and the fields were just pastures and not very smooth at that. At Hamilton, a woman was running some cows across the field when I got there. It was the longest trip we had been on and took 3 hrs. One of the under classmen ended up in Oklahoma on a cross county last week. Some of the boys that washed out in primary are now over at Concho Field taking the new navigator-bombadier course there.
            Got the Dispatches. How do these air-mail envelopes get there? Yes, we take plenty of training after being commissioned if we’re not made an instructor. We don’t use any big stuff until after getting wings. I put in for twin-engine advanced but don’t know what I’ll get. It will either be twin-engine, single-engine, or combat-observation for the next 9 weeks.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
Jo, hope you’re feeling better by now. Arlan, would you have trouble getting instruments to practice with?

Finished code

July 14, 1943

                                                            July 14
Dear Folks:
            Had a hard rain this morning and of course our mattresses were out again. Went on our cross country last nite to Abilene, Harpersville, and back. The towns are much easier to see after dark although not so easily identified. Camp Barkley near Abilene really shown. Abilene and Harpersville are on a civil airway so between the two towns there were rotating beacons every 10 miles. On each beacon is a code light telling how far it is from the town. Saw several oil derricks and they have them covered with lights. The air is so smooth after dark that the plane stayed on the compass course with hands and feet off.
            Finished code to-day. We had to receive and send 8 words (5 letters per word) per minute on the buzzer and receive 4 words per min. on the light which flashed on in time intervals corresponding to “dots” and “dashes”. For example, one short flash and two long ones is W. Over the earphones a W would be heard as one short “buzz” and two long ones.
            I see that farm machinery is going to be taken off the ration list. I notice the livestock aren’t bothered with flies down here. The plane on July 19 “Life” is one like we use. Sweetwater is about 70 mi from here and we used the airport there on one of our cross countries. The plane on page 73 is one like we used in primary. That article is a good description of what we do here. The only trouble is that all the women are at Avenger Field and all the men at Goodfellow. Speaking of women Maxwell, from Chicago, has a girl writing to him from every place he has been stationed and he has been in the Cavalry for 2 years. He has to write about 12 letters a week.
            Sunday. Went to the Baptist Church again this morning. The night flying is over for us at this base. Will be here at least 2 more weeks. The radio went dead again. Am sending some pictures taken at Ft Stockton. The window [cleaning] scene was taken one Friday nite while getting ready for the Sat. inspection. The man looking over his shoulder and on the donkey is Griffee from Hutch. Got the Dispatches. Got exempted from the final in meteorology.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

Apple butter

July 11, 1943

                                                            July 11
Dear Arlan:
            Had the first apple butter since leaving Kansas. We also get some honey and aprocot or plum jelly. Had water melon once last week. We can go to the cafeteria any evening and buy all the cold melon we want. The shows here at the post theater are 15¢ and first run shows.
            We have to sun our mattresses and blankets once a week on racks outside. One day 2 weeks ago a thunder storm came up and when we got back from class the water was running off the mattresses like from a tin roof.
            Passed my instrument check last week. Have been having “team rides” — one of us in the rear cockpit under the hood flys the ship by instruments while the guy in front sees that we don’t run into anything. While on these team rides we fly a triangular course to a couple of small towns within 30 miles by means of the compass. The man in back follows the compass and after a certain time is supposed to come out from under the hood and see the town below. We come surprisingly close most of the time.
            Flew last Friday nite. The ground crew set up the runway lites across wind instead of up wind so we had to wait an hour until they changed them. The only lights used were the small runway boundry markers spaced 400′ apart on each side of the runway. Since we couldn’t see the ground we put on a little throttle and let down until the wheels touched. Then for the last hour the boundry lites were “hooded” so that they could only be seen when directly in line with the runway. That’s what they use under combat conditions, I guess.
            My instructor became a papa last week — 6 lb. boy. There don’t seem to be any mosquitoes yet but I hear they get bad in August & September. Maybe you could get a used car. You shouldn’t have much trouble getting tires and the depreciation would be very little if you sold it again.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

                                                            July 11
Dear Folks:
            Had the first apple butter since leaving Kansas. We also get some honey and plum or apracot jelly. Had water melon once last week. We can go to the cafeteria any evening and buy all the cold water melon we want. The shows here at the post theater are 15¢ and are first-run shows.
            We have to sun our mattresses and blankets once a week on racks outside. One day 2 weeks ago a thunder shower came up and when we got back to the barracks from class the water was running off the mattresses like from a tin roof.
            Passed my instrument check last week. Have been having “team” rides — one student in the rear cockpit under the hood flys the ship by instruments while another student rides in front to see that they don’t run into anything. While on these team rides we fly a triangular course to a couple of small towns with in 30 mi by means of the compass. The man in back follows the compass and after a certain time is supposed to come out from under the hood and see the town below. We come surprisingly close most of the time.
            Broke the crystal on my watch and had a heavier one put in. Flew last Friday nite. The only lights used were the small runway boundry markers spaced 400′ apart. Since we couldn’t see the ground, we put on a little throttle and let down until the wheels touched. Then for the last hour they “hooded” the boundry markers so you could only see them when directly in line with the runway. That’s what they use under combat conditions, I guess.
            My instructor became a papa last week — 6 lb. boy. Got the cookies and thanks. Got your letter & one from Arlan this afternoon. Hear you’ve been getting some “white collared” help. Better not tell Rev. Elliot that I’ve been going to the Baptist church or he may raise his wages. About the nite flying, we put in about 2 hrs. apiece in two groups. Last week the ground crew set up the runway lites across wind instead of up-wind so we had to wait an hour for the change and that put everything late. Luckily, I was in the first bunch so got to bed fairly early. Hear the invasion of Italy has started.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. No mosquitoes here yet but I hear they get bad in August & Sept.

Having an air show

July 3-4, 1943

                                                            July 3
Dear Folks:
            Went on a cross country Monday. Went to Brownwood and Junction and return in 2.5 hours. We landed at Brownwood. Got another 2.5 hrs. night flying in on Thursday nite. The sky was over cast and some lightning from a thunderstorm about 30 mi away. Used the landing lights in the wing and no flood lights to land by this time.
            Have been having quite a few thunderstorms this week. They’re individual storms and not those line storms you have and occur in the afternoons. The temperature has surely been even. Hasn’t changed on an average since we got here. Haven’t seen a thermometer but I think it rarely gets above 90°
            Am now taking some more code. Haven’t had any of that since pre-flight. We also go swimming once a week during PT period.
            July 4. They are having an air show this morning over at Concho Field which is about 5 miles from here. I think I told you it is a bombadier school. Our instructors are taking the planes from here and putting on a formation flying exhibition. The bombadiers will have some target practice for exhibition. Also will be some gliders in the show. About 6 twin-motored transports took off from Goodfellow this morning with a big glider behind each. We could go over if we wanted too but have seen most of it.
            Got the Dispatches. Also a box of cookies from Aunt Hattie. McDill and I went to Baptist church this morning. The preacher was a regular old fashioned evangelist. Also had communion. The only thing they left out was a “ducking” ceremony. Had dinner and went out to the park and took a nap on the grass. Got paid last week
            Hope you got your hay up. We fly from 9 P.M. to 2 A.M. and get up at 8 the next morning. Only fly at nite once a week, will get a total of about 8 hr at nite. Yes, we get Sat. nite until 2 A.M. and Sunday until 10 P.M. as open post. Does Dale stay out there?
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John

First night flying

June 27, 1943

                                                            June 27
Dear Folks:
            We’re using a different auxiliary field this week — Oates Field, they call it. It is bigger than the one we used last week so we can make running takeoffs when practicing spot landings. That is, instead of stopping after landing and taxing around to the end of the field for another takeoff, we just give it the gun after landing, make a short run and take off again.
            The farmers are combining oates this week. The 2 farmers next to Oates Field use combines like George Potter had and Farmalls on rubber. They sack the oates on the machine and drop the sacks around the field. Also near Oates Field is a big dairy with about 150 head of Jersey milk cows. Every windmill has a large covered tank about 10 ft off the ground beside it. The houses are small and there is usually just a shed for a barn. All of them seem to have good tractors & equipment. They grow alfalfa, sudan grass, cotton, oates and some kind of cultivated maize.
            Did my first night flying this week. The air is really smooth compared to day time. The plane has the red & green & white wing tip lights (running lights) you’ve probably seen. The instrument numerals and pointers are painted with a florescent paint. A florescent light is played on the instrument panel and the only thing that can be seen are the things painted with the paint. There are also a powerful pair of landing lights in the edge of the wing but we won’t use them just yet.
            The runway has a string of dim boundry lights around it and at the end of the runway is a big flood light by which we land. The cities are easily seen because of the lights. The exhaust shoots out a plume about 5 ft. long just beside the cockpit. The instructor rode for 3 landings and then crawled out and we had to go around alone for another hour of landings.
            Also getting instrument flying now which is application of the Link trainer. The instructor rides in the front seat and me in the back seat which is covered with a hood so that all one can see is the inside of cockpit.
            Got your letter & Jo’s, also the Dispatches. I see some sunflowers in bloom along the roads here. The order came out last week that we don’t have to wear neckties in the heat of the day. Of course we didn’t wear them with the flying suit but to ground school and chow.
            43-J, the under class, just arrived last nite. Quite a few from Ft. Stockton that were our under class there. We are going on another cross country Monday, to Harpersville, & Curtis Ranch and back. Am sending $1 for Karen’s war bond.
            Tell Wright to get a picture of his combine & “crew” and send it along if he can. This plane has 450 H.P. Yes we can get cool water most of the time. There is also a coco cola machine in the orderly room and one in the flight building.
            No, Jo, I don’t feel a day older. And what do you mean, “surprise”? I heard rumors from the West coast 2 months ago. You might put dark glasses on Karen in the day time to get her “orientated.” No, we wont get any target practice until we get to Advanced. Did Loren go to single-engine or twin-engine advanced school?
                                                            Yours truly,
                                                                        John

Solo cross-country

June 18-20, 1943

                                                            June 18
Dear Folks:
            Had a little rain last nite and it was fairly cool to-day. We have been using a small auxiliary field this week. Its cut out of the mesquite on the other side of town. Some one has a nice Hereford bull in the pasture next to it. He comes up to the fence to see what goes on.
            Went on a solo cross-country trip yesterday from here to Sweetwater and Abilene and back. Flew under a small thunder storm that was just starting and was right across my course. Wm. Jackson, who had the same instructor with me at Primary, washed out this week. Also Spears, the boy from Kentucky whom I think I mentioned before. Lost my sun glasses this week. I think I told you about those flying suits in Primary with the pocket on the leg below the knee. Well, we have the same thing here.
            Sunday. Went to the M.E. church in town. Griffee said his wife wrote that there was some hail stones fell around Hutchinson as big as baseballs. Haven’t heard from Marvel Lee this week. Got your letter this afternoon and glad to hear everything’s O.K. I should think a vet would know all about mean mama cows. Ha! Maybe the cow didn’t know that he knew!
            “Flying” the Link is harder work than the real plane. After turning around several times and climbing and gliding one could swear the thing was standing on end. Of course the instruments say otherwise and when you can’t see the ground the instruments have to be relied upon and not the sense of balance.
            I won’t have much time to look at the Royal Purple so would be no use to send it. Don’t expect to hear much from you until after harvest. Has Wright gotten a driver yet? Hope your rain lets up some. Also got the last bunch of Dispatches and the magazine. Guess thats all for now.
                                                            Yours truly,
                                                                        John
P.S. Got a letter from Aunt Jessie.

                                                            June 20
Dear Arlan:
            We went on a solo cross-country last Thurs. Went to Sweetwater, Abilene, and back; took 2 hrs. Flew under a small thunder storm that was just forming on my course. Flew by compass and check points on the ground. W. Jackson, who had the same instructor as I in Primary, washed out last week; also Spears, the red-headed boy from Kentucky, whom I mentioned before
            Lost my sun-glasses last week. Have the same kind of flying suit as at Primary, with the pocket below the knee and that’s how I lost them. I hear you’ve been mixing it with a mama cow. Suppose you can say you got run over by a truck! Ha! Here is a clipping from the Industrialist. What wonders this war hasn’t wrought!
            Yes, the expense of being an officer around most camps is terrific. If the army don’t take you in you won’t have missed any thing of value. Should be here a little over 4 more weeks. Guess thats all for now
                                                            Yours truly,
                                                                        John

WAACs are taking over

June 13, 1943

                                                            June 13
Dear Folks:
            The man that bunks next to me got married last nite. McCarty is his name and he came from Indiana. The WAAC’s are taking over several jobs here at the field. There’s now 2 of them in the control tower. Don’t think I told you that we wear earphones and while up solo have the radio tuned to the tower so they can call us in if necessary. We also have a microphone to call the tower if necessary.
            San Angelo is sure full of soldiers on Sat. nite. A large percent are air corp enlisted men stationed here and Concho Field, a bombadier school next to this field, and several more post around here. The stores close at 9 P.M. on Sat. There are also lots of farmers on the streets.
            Got a letter from Aunt Hattie & will send it. I had just sent a letter to her the day before this one came. Got the radio O.K. and post office is only about 1 block from here. It seems to work pretty good but this place is like Ft Stockton in that reception is no good in the daytime. It makes no difference since there’s no time to listen to it either in the daytime.
            No, we don’t get any strawberries. A “shave tail” is a 2nd Lieutenant. I never heard of a bomber mile”. Hope the oats materialize. Most of the Lieut. here have cars for some reason or other. I suppose because they live in town and the bus is crowded with civilian workers that come out here to the maintenance shop.
            Went to the First Presbyterian Church this morning. It is larger than the one at C.C. A visiting pastor gave the sermon. Had a good steak dinner afterwards.
            The “washing machine” has started again. We get a 20 hr. check this week. Not surprised that Glen got caught fishing. The army sent our names to home town papers for “propoganda”. All cadets get officers training.
                                                            Yours truly,
                                                                        John
P.S. Just got a card, Grandma & Grandpa, announcing your new status. Congratulations! Don’t let it go to your heads!!!

Dirt and dust

June 4, 1943

                                                            Jun 4
Dear Folks:
            A storm blew up this afternoon so we got off a little early. A cloud came up from the south and the wind turned to southeast. The dirt and dust blew off of the field and across the hanger and barracks in drifts like snow. It blew that way for 1/2 hr. before it rained so you can imagine the condition of everything.
            Got your letter Monday and one from Arlan and 2 bunches of Dispatches. I soloed yesterday and am getting used to some of the cockpit handles. The mechanics call the cadets “gagets”. I have my camera registered so can take some snapshots. We’ve all had our pictures taken by the Army 2 or 3 times for “propoganda” purposes. Got paid another $25 to-day. The ground school courses right now are “Navigation” and “Radio Communication”.
            The 3 of us that had supper with the instructor were what was left from original 5. The other two that had supper, Jackson & Feightner, were not in my bay. Hope “Tippy” is convelesing properly. The only animals here are 2 fat cats that hang around the mess hall.
            Sunday. Instead of PT we had a sing-song in the theater yesterday. The theater has an electric organ and the “organist” is a private. He’s really good at it, too. He walks with a cane, so the air corp must have taken him in for his musical talent as an entertainer.
            I just remembered there’s a birthday in the family — today isn’t it? Happy Birthday.
            We had week end off so went to the First Methodist church in town. It is a rather old building and about 1/4 again as large as the M.E. church in Clay. It has a regular pastor and an assistant. We ride a bus to town for 5¢ each way.
            Don’t think I told you I’m taking time on a Link trainer. Its a minature plane with a hooded cockpit and turns, climbs, & glides like a regular plane without leaving the ground. The theoretical path it would make over the ground is traced by a stylus on a paper at the operator’s desk. Thus the check on how we are “flying” it. The idea is to be able to fly a plane “blind” or only by instruments such as would be necessary in a fog or cloud. It’s quite an ingenious machine.
            Might call the colt “Tex” although I don’t know which one would be honored, the state or the horse. Yours truly,
                           John

Do they rave!

May 30, 1943

                                                            May 30
Dear Folks:
            I sent the radio and class book home before leaving Ft Stockton, hope they arrived. Please have the radio checked over and sent here.
            Boy, is this place rough! Its just like pre-flight — with airplanes. There are 2 “shave-tails” on every corner and do they rave! Our flight instructors are Lieutenants and they rave also. I think in a week we will become somewhat immune but right now we jump just a little when we see an officer. We get an officer’s training course and flight training to boot. One of those is a full days work.
            We won’t get out this week end. The plane we use is a Vultee BT-13, 450 HP. It takes a crew of 3 or 4 ground men to keep each one in shape. The cockpit is full of handles, gagets, and instruments. The cockpit has a plexiglass cover so some of the noise and wind is shut out.
            Sunday Morning. Didn’t have revielle this morning. The chapel is about a block from here and McDill and I are going over. McDill was an under classmen at pre-flight with me.
            The under class here is made up of classes from Uvalde, Ballinger, and Fort Stockton. The first call on week days is 5:45; Then drill, PT, class work, and flying, not in that order but changed around every day. Lights out at 10 P.M.
            The chow is served cafeteria style and I think it will be more uniform than the civilian feed was at Ft. Stockton because it varied every day or so from the best down to the worst.
            Had communion at the chapel this morning. The chaplain’s name is Cartwright. We notice the change in altitude and humidity. This is 1900 ft above sea level while F. S. was 3000′. There is quite a section of cultivated land around San Angelo and although it is nearly flat it is farmed on the contour — to save rain water I suppose. None of it is irrigated I think. There’s a small river running thru the town. This field is right on the southeast edge of town.
            We all had another eye check last week. We have to wear gas masks for 15 min. each P.T. period in order to get used to them. Note the address. I don’t think that first one I sent you was right. I will write Marvel Lee and you might send this to Arlan if he’s back at school.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. this place is set square with the world so the sun comes up in the east again. Farmers around Ft Stockton were binding oats when we left.

[in his mother’s handwriting:]

Address
Notice > A/C McClurkin J D. he thot he gave
                        Class 43-I Upper 39 us wrong address
                        Goodfellow Field                        Save this.
                        San Angelo, Texas

Pretty busy

May 26, 1943

Dear Folks:                        5-26-43
            Arrived last nite and been pretty busy ever since. We are back in G.I. barracks like we had in pre-flight. We are back in the Army, so to speak. No civilians around. All the help are enlisted men. Seems this country is a great sheep country. There is a theater and chapel here on the post. I don’t know much more so will close for now.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John