Smyrna times., 1945-01-04

you're the sort of fellow who can
find your way around nicely. Don't
forget to write.
Sherman, Texas
Dear Dribbles:
Well, another move, another
field, another airplane, another bar
racks, another instructor, another
town, but still in Texas.
The weather closed in to-day,
very nasty, so no flying, hence this
brief respite during which 1 hope
to get my correspondence more
nearly caught up.
We have a nice place here at
Perrin. The field in fine and the
airplane, the BT-13 Vultee "Val-
liant" is very good plane. We had
hoped to start in AT-6's but this
field has been delayed in making
the change so we probably will not
get them until Advanced. My only
trouble is that Andrea and Sandra
have not found nice place to live
yet. Conditions are pretty bad
along that line here. Then too, we
will probably have to fly Saturdays
and Sundays because of the bad
weather, which is usual here at
this time.
Unfortunately, the extra five
weeks of Post Graduate Primary
at Goodfellow did not help me.
When I got out of the hospital, I
found myself grounded for over
two weeks. I did build up the i'm
pressive total of one hour and 10
minutpes dual time in the PT-17
there. 1 had only one ride and was
fortunate in not being held back to
class 45-C. My illness was help
in way. I received "a hour pass
es every 48 hours, going back to
the field only for ground school. 1
couldn't manage a convalescent
furlough.
Perhaps the talk of airplane!s is
not interesting to you. You know
we kind of get talking about them
in our business. They sort of 2
on you. Please excuse.
Right now we're much bus
here than ever before. We get up
at $50 a. m. and are busy until
7:30 p. m. Being so busy does
make time pass faster, so perhaps
the next eighteen weeks will go
pretty well.
In all my travels 1 have found
very few people who had ever been
in Delaware, but I ran into one
here who has relates in Middle
town and Warwick, Md. 1t was
like Old Home Week.
I am going to close now, and try
to write Ronnie Grier and "Shap."
Please forward the balance of
"Shap's" address.
Over and out,
John
A-C John M. Fleming
A. S. N. 42082399
Glass 45-B
Boy No. 1856
Perrin Field
Sherman, Texas
John, here's hoping that things
are moving along nicely for you
down at Perrin Field. That the
very good wife and daughter have
now been housed comfortably, to
your liking, and that you have the
PT-13's we'll under control.
It's been very busy three weeks
of it up this way, as you may well
guess. With holiday planning and
extra work to do all the way
around. Course this is to be ex-
pected at this time of year, and
Dribbles considers himself FORUM
ate to have been able to check
through right on the line. Perhaps,
from now on, things will nave a
bit more slowly.
johnny, you're all wound up
wrong if you think that talking
shop about your airplanes is not of
interest to this aging person. Fact
is, Dribbles, and all the rest of your
readers know so little of what is
really going on, that they are in
no position to judge things with
any degree of assurance. If the
public were more generally educat-
ed, it would result in much better
understanding all the way around.
So keep on talking shop all you
wish. Naturally, the handling of
airplanes is your job, that's what
you're thinking about much of your
time, so fire away my friend. We
won't do any squaking on that
score. You may be sure of that.
I'm sending you "Shap's" latest
address which was published under
the date of December 28th, 1914.
Be sure to write in for any others
you may wish to contact. If Drib-
bles has them, and if they are of
recent issue, you will be sure to
get them with reasonable prompt
ness.
Here's wishing you all kinds of
oood l1clx during the New Year