Smyrna times., 1943-06-03

lOOk dDOul lWO NCCho " %
through all of our tests, after
which we were forced to wait until
found out what the results were
Some of the early boys had beer
classified, when on the night before
our first Open Post-about a hall
hour before taps-things started to
happen. The shipping orders were
posted and to our great surprise
we found that we were listed tc
leave for the Pre-Flight course
all this before we even knew that
we had actually been classified
This gave us a status of Lower
Classmen.
Before we realized what had
happened our group was down al
Maxwell Field. Here the Upper
Glass officers met us at the train
The speed and precision with which
things were carried out was start
ing. We were quickly informed
that "The Party was over" "Fall
in; Attention; rack those shoulders
back; suck that stomach in; keep
those eyes straight ahead; Forward
march," and we were off to our
barracks. While on our way, we
stopped to have "chow," and then
were bearded into our barracks
long enough to sit down. Hardly
were we seated when we were call
ed out for haircuts-good-bye side
burns and long hair. But before we
had our hair cut we all had to GO
and get our barrack bags. While
this pocedure was going on, we
found out what our routine train
ing would be, including two three
hour drill periods daily, calisthen-
les and parades. We were now re-
quired to shine our shoes before
each formation, even if these form
ations were called five minutes
apart. 1t became necessary for us
to wear garters, collar stays, and
to have our belt buckles shining.
Every button on our clothes must
be fastened, on or off the drill
grounds, and we were not allowed
to wear anything but &c. L" uni
forms or equipment. In addition
to this, as Lower Classmen, we
were required to be out five min
utes before the Upper Classmen for
every formation, in our places and
standing at Parade Rest" We
were never "at ease" We walked
the '.hot line" at attention, 120
steps to the minute, eyes straight
ahead, not breaking the arms at
the elbows, keeping our shoulders
back and our stomachs in. We had
to learn the Mission of the South
east Army Air Force Training Gen.
ter, on General Orders and other
things. These the Upper Classmen
seemed to bring out from no.
where's, and they could say them
sofast that one could not under
stand what they were talking about
unless they already knew in ad-
vance. Our barracks had to be
clean at all times and ready for
inspection at moments notice, ex-
cept after evening Chow" Our
shoes and clothing had to be in
certain places. In fact, everything
had a place, and everything had to
be in that place otherwise we were
"gizzed." A "giz" can be any num-
ber of dement's. Six demerits in
one week is a tour" Tours are
fifteen minutesfof marching in a
square. Every Saturday we had
S.M.I. or our Saturday Morning In
spection. This meant securing the
barracks from one end to the other.
Our desk drawers had to be ar
ranged in a certain manner and we
had to stand by in our Glass
B's-uniforms. We were required
to take up our position in just one
certain spot. There was no such
thing as just about right-it had to
be exactly right.
Right at this point in my train
ing took off for Primary. The
previous part of this letter was
written at the end of April, and it
is now the 22nd of May.
1 have had eight hours ana fif-
teen minutes of flying. We were
late getting started due to the bad
weather we have experienced for a
couple of periods. This gave me
less flying hours during the two
and one-hallf weeks that I have
been here.
1 did not mention academies in
the Pre-Flight course, but we had
them three hours daily. We also
had our turn at guard duty while
we were there. Now that seems to
have been years ago. When we
came down here we stepped into an
entirely different setting. We are
now flying in real airplanes. Nc
! longer do we have to look up ano
wonder what it is like. We al
know now.
The schedule here is not quite as
hard as it was back at Maxwell
Field. We spend our mornings Oh
the afternoons on the flight line
and the other half of the day ir
school and going through physica