The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-07-25
TRAINING A FLYER
ROBERT MINER WRITES ABOUT
SCHOOL AT AUSTIN TEXAS.

robert Miner, Jr., who is in ayia.
ton training school in Texas writes
back home of the place and some
thing of what he is doing. He gives an
excellent report of other Oskaloosa
boys who are at the same place, Har.
rold Dodds, Gus Hamilton, Mayo Col
vile, Ray Augustine and Emlyn Per-
ry.
Austin, Tex, July II, 1918.-Dear
friend: No doubt you will want to
know something about our training
school. We have strict orders to give
no information that is in the least con-
fidential, so my remarks will be of a
general nature.
The school is located in the old Tex
as Blind Institute" which of course
has been intensively remodeled. 1t
covers about two city blocks, 'being en-
tirely enclosed by fence.
The Barracks are light and airy and
we usually get some breeze in the ev-
enings although the last few have been
quite sultry.
We have a very good mess and ev-
erything is served in a first class
manner. We sit down and put our feet
under regular table.
The discipline here is very rigid, and
the authorities are very eXacting. De-
merits are given for different Offenses
which seem rather trivial but the au-
thorities are attempting to install dis
cipline into the men and dor away with
carelessness. An air plane is no place
for careless man. He may lose his
own life and ruin a good machine
The studies are rather difficult and
you have to concentrate your mind to
get them. However | wish to say that
you certainly get good education if
you apply yourself. Failures in studies
or a certain number of dement's may
cause cadet to be discharged
Besides our studies we have drill
and calesthenics. We also have trap
shooting once a week and certainly
enjoy this. -
Saturday afternoon we are free from
2 p. m. until 1890 a. m. Sunday. We
usually have picnic at one of the
parks Saturday evening and the mess
brings us good lunch. Does one good
to get his mind off the serious work
for while.
The course he;e is twelve weeks
long and at the end of that time if you
graduate, you viii be sent to a fiying
school.
This is without doubt wonderful
school and is considered to be the
greatest ground school in the world.
They certainly give their men broad
education and great military train
ing. You can easily pick the men out
from the men of several other schools
around here, by their appearance.
/ am just finishing my sixth week
which is the half way post. am get
ting along all right so far. am glad
to say that the other boys from Oska-
loosa are getting along fine also.
Before | close wish to say that al
though thought the school here fine,
am not in love with Texas itself. The
ground around here is sandy and
rocky and the heat is fierce. | don [
believe | would trade Mahaska Coun-
ty for all of Texas | have seen. How
ever | will say that they have located
the drill grounds where we nearly al
ways get breeze and we certainly
appreciate that.
The city water here is very warm
and ice is served on the table at every
meal. We eat enough water melon and
drink enough cold stuff to put an ordi-
nary person on the shelf.
Your friend,
Robt. II, Milne:.