Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-15
DAUPHTN FLYER TELLS HOW BOYS
SPENT CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE

yesterday, but nothing so loud as
it's been pictured. Then again, l
may be too far behind the lines to
get the full benefit. However, the
war is not over yet and L will no
doubt get many chance to hear
the celebration at close range, espe-
cially since 1 am "dispinibled" now,
1 guess that's spelled right, but L
would not advise you to pronounce
it, you might bite your tongue. 1t
means that my training is over and
1 begin actual fighting as soon as
the weather clears up. Some Amer
lean jokingly pronounced the word
indispensable" something which l
know l am not. To date have had
about six hours flying over the
front, some of it even over the
lines, 1 know L was over one time,
because shrapnel began popping
near me, and it was then I discov-
cred what a friend a cloud was. All
of this time was spent in flying in
group formation, anywhere from
two to six machines flying in a
bunch. The hard part of this kind
of flying. which is the only way
used, is to keep in your allotted po-
sition and requires judgment of dis
tance, speed, a knowledge of motor
regulation and ability as a flyer.
A seasoned flyer was always sent
out to lead us and it was during one
of these trips that the leader con-
sidered my flying tres bien" (very
good) Imagine my surprise the
next morning to read in the orders
of the day that / was chef de
patrol" Qeader of the group. And
then you can use your Imagination
again; Think how disappointed /
felt on going to the hangers and
finding my plane unfit for service,
something having broken in the mo-
tor during the last flight which
would require all day to fix. So my
joy at being so honored was short
lived and 1 moped around the rest
of the day, wondering why in Sam
Hill they did not make mechanics
with a little more speed. And
have not flown since then, and sure
am itching to get into the all
| again, for I do like to fly and wor-
| ry that Captain aplenty with my de-
| sire to burn up gasoline in any KIND
| of weather. AS far as l can see there
| is no weather bad enough to faze g
| Nieuport, for / have flown in some
very bad weather. l wanted to &C
up yesterday, but after a look at the
sky he refused, and 1 can see his wis
dom now, for half an hour later 6
| SllOMSlOIIl Cdtll0 up cillN
| it gave me mental picture o.
where I might have been at the
time. Somewhere in France. sure
ly, or worse yet somewhere in Ger
many" for ] had no instruments a!
yet, so certainly / would have beer
up tree. l finally got all my in
struments mounted to-day the wa.
| 1 wanted them,-Altimeter, com
pass, tachometer and watch all il
one corner. Yes, / said watch,
for we have one of them given IL
as they are quite necessary sine
we only carry enough gasoline for
certain length of time so must know
how long we are gone, else we Nigh
find ourselves over Germany will
no gas" and then, to say the least
one would be "out of luck" Watcl
is not quite the word for it, it bein
so big as to be a young alarm clock
We certainly have a roaring fir
tonight and for once it was so no
I had to stop hugging it, and nov
that am so warm and comfortabl
I feel like going to bed, for 1 ate s
much macaroni for supper that
just naturally feel like curling up.
Received a card from Arne O.
, Christmas, which informed me tina
the Harrisburg Typographical Unio
had honored me with a Christina
package and would l look out 70
; it. l certainly will do that, but ar
: looking out for so many that neve
i have arrived that l fear I'll be bur
led when they once begin to drop o
me.