Evening star., 1942-08-30

he entered the University Of Mary
land, where he was member Of the
varsity boxing team. 1t. Pyles en-
listed in the Army Air Forces in
April, l941, after obtaining more
than 200 hours solo flying at College
Park Airport. 1t. Pyles writes as
follows:
II have been In many places where
mail neither comes in nor goes out.
I have not received any mail since
I left the States. Mail is awfully
slow getting here and finding me Is
another problem.
Replacement for AVG.
II am now in China. What do
you think of that? I have now
flown a P-40 over 10000 miles.
cannot tell you the exact place. Our
job here is replacing the AVG boys.
Most of them are going home. Some
left week ago and more are leaving
every day, by transport plane. We
have been here about week flying
with them.
II have only made one fight into
Jap-held territory-w without seeing
anything. The weather here is
rainy and cloudy The Japs won't
fly in bad weather and we can.
This weather will last until Oc-
tober, so we have a definite ad.
vantage there.
THE country here is much better
than India. We are in the noun.
tains. The grass is green and we
can get excellent food. Fresh vege-
ables and fruit. The Chinese are
very good cooks. We have to wear
jackets even now to keep warm. And
BOY, can you sleep up here. The
beds are very clean and with two or
three blankets, they are very warm.
We are living in a hotel here
II put in very long hours-four in
the morning to about nine at night.
We are on duty IA hours q day and
the rest of the time is spent travel
ing and eating. So you see I don't
have much time"
D. C. Youth Promoted.
Back at Camp Polk, La, in the
United States, District boy writes
in on the first anniversary Of the
day he entered the Army. He Is
1t. John L. Wilmer son of Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Wilmer of the West
chester Apartments. Coincidentally,
1t. Wilner's letter reached The Star
at the same time as word came from
Camp Polk that he had been pro-
NOTED from second to first lieu
tenant. 1t. Wilmer writes:
"One year ago today was herded
into bus on Pennsylvania avenue
and sent off to the Army, a willing,
eager and patriotic guy, fresh from
four years of easy, aristocratic liv-
ing at Harvard. I had many ideas
and ideals at that time. During the
course of the past year, some of those
ideals were battered, many ideas
were bruised, but because they were
right and good, they never fell or,
crumpled
Nov, as an officer, can look back
on much that will, in time, prove to
be the most valuable experience OF
my life. Days and nights of K. p,
ditch digging, living with real men
and sharing disappointment and
dismay with them have given me
what I failed to receive at college,
and I am happy about the unhappi-
ness of the past year. At least If I
don't know too much about a lot Of
things in the Army, I can still call
myself a soldier.
"The difference between the life
I lead now and that which led as
an enlisted man is tremendous. My
job is 24-hour job now-full OF
unexpected turns and situations, full
Of changing circumstances, each of
which requires sudden and salts
factory solution.
Il am company commander now
and for the first time in my life
forget meals and nights out-han-
ding $50 men, getting them fed,
clothed, trained and keeping them
happy is a man-sized job. They
come to me for everything-fur-
loughs, money. family troubles and a
million and one things that must
be solved. I have two more ofYicers
under me in the company now.
They'll be real help.
Don't ever worry about me. NV
attitude toward life in general is
enough insurance to keep me from
going either emotionally or mentally