The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1917-07-12
HEPPNER BOY IS
NOW ARMY AVIATOR
Clarence Il. Forbes Writes Letter DE.
scribing Thrilling Dips and Turns
in Upper Air.-Several Local
Boys Are Encamped ut
South San Antonio.

The following letter has been re-
ceived by the editor from Clarence
f. Forbes, formerly of this city, who
is now stationed at Camp Kelly,
South San Antonio, Texas, where he,
along with several thousand other
young fellows, is rapidly becoming
an expert navigator of the upper air.
Camp Kelly, July 4th.
Friend Art:
Knowing that you and many more
of my Heppner friends are interest
ed in the aviation section of the ar
my. I'm going to tell you about the
camp In San Antonio which Uncle
Sam intends to make the largest in
the world. 1t certainly is fine loca-
ton for the country around here is as
level as floor and the climatic con-
ditions are ideal for flying.
The aviation field as a whole is
called Camp Kelley The original
or base camp is half mile west of
South Antonio or six miles from the
main city, and is composed of three
squadrons, the 3rd, 4th and 5th, each
consisting of 154 men. There is a
barrack, cook house, bath house and
truck shed for each squadron and
water is piped throughout the camp
and there are electric lights in each
building, making them quite home
like.
All of the airplanes except three
are kept here and these three SQUAD
rons have done all the flying so far.
am proud that | am a member of
the fighting 5th.' not only because
it Is considered the best trained and
equipped, but because our captain,
Spatz. is the best flyer in the bunch.
And believe me, when a fellow gets
back from ride with Captain Spatz
he knows that he has been some
where, especially if he does his ia
nous "corkscrew' dive of two or
three thousand feet.
The provisional or sub camp is
just across the flying field, south of
us. 1t is city with a population of
5000 men who are now being or
ganized into squadrons which will be
distributed throughout the country
and trained. Each squadron is divid-
ed into three main sections: machine
shops, transportation (truck and
motorcycle) and airplane. The air.
plane section is divided into crews
OF six men each, ana each crew has
machine to take care of and keen
In flying condition. | have been in
crew for six weeks and it certainly is
interesting work. In fact, SO far our
enlistment has been more like a big
vacation that a state of war, We
quit work at o'clock and have our
evenings, Saturday afternoons and
Sundays off. And the war recrea-
ton board is doing everything possi-
Bile by way of entertainment to keep
us happy, There is regular pro-
gram each week, there are dances,
swimming parties, lawn parties and
picnics, club rooms opened and NOV
ing pictures, and some of the best
talent on the stage is brought to our
big Y. M. c. A. building for enjoy
ment. Do you wonder that we're
glad were here? The only thing we
regret is that we didn't join sooner.
Oh yes, I've had my first ride
among the big heecy clouds in an
air launch and believe me its the
sport of sports; got everything else
backed off the map. can't tell you
just how it feels, because | never
had any "feelin's" like it before, but
can tell you every minute is full of
the kind of thrills that you won't for
get in day. And you are as safe as
though you were in big touring
car---and safer, because when you're
going fast in car and something
goes badly wrong, you are apt to hit
some object in hurry, but when you
are 1000 feet or more above the earth
and have trouble, you've got several
minutes in which to straighten out
before you get close enough to hit
anything. With a dead" motor
these machines will glide forward
six feet while they descend one, so
that with an altitude of 1000 feet
you could coast more than a mile be-
fore you would land.
No, l didn't 60 with Capt. Spatz,
but the gentleman who took me in
troduced me to everything but the
tail spin" and that famous "cork-
screw" dive. Before we started the
captain asked me If it was my first
trip. l hated to say yes because l
was afraid that he wouldn't do any !
Stunts" They seldom do for its apt
to make the new one" sick, but 1
need not have worried about not get
ting them.
l put my helment and goggles on, 6
cinched up the life belt and we went ,
speeding along on the ground for :