Mexico Missouri message., 1917-06-07
Tom DeLaporte
Writes From Florida
Studying Aviation in the Navy
Tells of Decentralization to
Have Great Part in the War.

Tom DeLaporte, in the United
States aviation service in Florida,
under recent date, writes most inter-
estingly to his parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
]. c. DeLaporte, at Laddonia, this
county, and to his sister, Mrs. w.
Clyde Johnson, of this city. In recent
letter among other things he says:
My time is we'll taken up. Every
day l have more to do than the day
before. Today l take eight pages,
large ones, of notes. Tonight have
to write them all up and study them.
If we keep on at the rate we are go
ing now we shall complete our course
in seven more weeks. We will then
get on the beach. This is supposed to
be an eighteen months course, so you
can get some idea as to what we
must do to get it so soon.
Sunday before last l went to Ban
ancas, about mile from here. 1t is
an old Spanish fort, built by Ponce
de Leon, several hundred years ago.
1t is wonder. 1t is made of brick.
covered with dirt. 1t has strange
looking gun-mountings, look-holes for
sharp shooters, moats, dungeons, and
the like. The walls are built so they
curve out, so they can't be scaled
dirt-covered bank. There are tun-
nels and underground rooms all un-
der it. The tunnels run out to the
gun pits on the outside. 1t is sure a
curiosity. A short distance away are
all kinds and shapes Of granite rock,
all carved out, They are large ones.
There are no such rocks found any
where else in this country They were
shipped here when the fort was built.
1t is a wonder how the things they
had were brought to this country at
that time.
Yesterday afternoon / went to the
Y. M. c. A. to write to you. met
several nice fellows. One is civil
engineer for the l.. & N. Railroad
Co., another is assistant cashier of
bank here They invited three of us
fellows to a sailing party Sunday af-
ter next. We get every other Sunday
off. Both the young men We met are
big Epworth League workers.
There are two war ships out in
the harbor now. They look as big
gray monsters tonight when they
throw the searchlights on them. From
where I am sitting l can look out the
window and see the searchlights
playing back and forth in the sky.
It is beautiful sight. They are test
ing some new ones out. They throw
a narrow light for a long distance,
and it is blue color. When they
throw them up you can see the clouds
floating by and see thru them some
times.
The marines are practising with
anti-aircraft guns, revolvers and de-
fense guns; sometimes it is con-
tinuous roar. They fly kites to prac-
tice on. The air is thick with aero
planes and balloons, too, and there
has not been a single serious acci-
dent in thas air service since 1 have
been here, only when bunch of
new fellows come in, The boys dress
up dead aviator" for the benefit
of the newcomers. They sure scare
some of them. One boy wouldn't go
to bed last night The fellows here are
a jolly bunch, always playing jokes
on each other.
I haven't seen drunk student
since | came here, or any gambling
and the like l heard l would find.
The boys have too much to do, ii
SENS. They don't waste much time.
The big dirigible out in the float
ing hanger broke loose this morning,
Some of the fellows had quite a
time with it.
Balloons will have an important
part in this war, believe. They are
making all kinds. Some have motors
in them. They will be used for OBJ,
seryation purposes. They can go uI
to most any practical altitude and
stay; an aeroplane has to keep NOV
ing. Fifty boys leave next week fol
Akron, Ohio, Goodyear Rubber Co
is making a bunch of balloons there
/ don't know what kind
This week l am studying joining