March 28, 1944

Dear Mom,

Your letter came the other day and also one from Louise with the pictures we took when I was home. The one with the whole family is my favorite.

I've been on airdrome officer for the last four days and let me tell you, it's been plenty busy.

Tony, Johnnies George and all  the boys that went through training with me are all across now. That hurt plenty to see them go. Shaking hands and saying goodbye to those bums being left behind with a bunch of strangers sure leaves a lump in a guy's throat.

I guess it can be told now. They left for Miami by train and from there I think they were flown to England. To be on the safe side I wouldn't say anything to anyone until we hear from them because I wouldn't want anybody to get in trouble because all their moves are secret.

Tony said he would write to you Mom and you could forward this letter to me where've I may be. There's one guy I really hated to part with. He's one and a million. Mendenhall is the only one left behind with me and he's in the hospital with tonsillitis.

I may be shipped within the next couple of weeks but I don't know as yet. What gets me down is the fact that I've waited all this time to go overseas then get split up at last minute, but then I guess I'll live though it all.

We had a ship down here that his compressibility in a dive, that is when you go faster than the speed of sound, it causes the air flowing off the wing to become very turbulent and the ship then has very peculiar characteristics. One of them is that you can't pull the ship out of a dive until you reach a certain altitude. This boy way going 920 miles per hour at 15,000 feet. It tore the wind partly off and a few other pieces of the ship but he came in and made a normal landing and is none the worse for it. I guess it scared the hell out of him. Can't blame him much.

We had a grand time the last few days, we flew at Page Field. They gave is all ships and told us to go out on low altitude work. Boy oh boy did I have a tome buzzing everything from cows to cars. Some of those case were so use to being buzzed that I almost took their horns off with my wing and all they would do would be to stand and look at you wiz by and keep chewing their cud.

Two of us for together and we buzzed farm houses, boats on the river and ever the trees. You really move up on a guys doing about 300 miles per hour.

How's everybody at home now? Do you still hear from Grandma?

Love to you and all As Ever

Al

P.S. Would you call Fred's mother and get his address? Find out what he's doing. I haven't heard a word from him since he started flying.