Dear Mother,

I'm sorry, but I just haven't had time to sit down and write a letter, but today is Saturday and because of open post, I have the time.

To start, I "soloed" last Monday. It was quite a thrill flying something big without an instructor telling you what to do. My landings were only fair, but good enough to check me out of traffic.

On Tuesday, they changed me to a new instructor, a second lieutenant named Charles Gray. One of Gray's students had passed an elimination ride, so he was changed to my old instructor, and I was just shifted over in his place.

My new instructor seems to be O.K. - he's a very quiet fellow, but requires perfect flying. I have over 15 hours now, 5 hours of which are solo. I guess I'll get my 20 hour check sometime this next week. This 20 hour check here at Basic seems to be quite important - much more so than the checks at Primary. This check tells whether a student can successfully make the jump from a P.T. to a B.T.-14. And believe me, that's really a big jump.

Ground school seems to be fairly easy here, but requires lots of studying. I mean by easy that the subject matter isn't hard to understand, but involves quite a bit of memory work - various procedures, rules, etc.

Mother, I think that I've finally talked Betty out of her seriousness. I expect that she will send my pin back soon. At least I received a rather "onry" letter from her and proceeded to answer in the same fashion. I don't think that she expected anything like that.

I've finally got the hang of living in tar paper shacks. It's really a lot of fun, since I know I'll be in quarters that are really tops in about seven weeks. But if I thought that I'd have to stay here indefinitely, I don't think that I'd like it very much!

(Sunday night - 9/19/43) I knew that I couldn't get this in the Saturday mail, so I just held it over until tonight for additions. We had our first open post yesterday and today. So, naturally I rushed the feminine attractions in Independence. A Cincinnati boy named Fuller and myself happened to meet two lovely cadet nurses and took them to a dance given for us of 44-A. My girl's name is Diana Dunn, and she's just as cute as her name. I was really lucky to meet her and date her, because, being a cadet herself, she's the best. We had a swell time at the dance Saturday night. Then this afternoon we went out to the amusement park they have here and naturally had a good time.

Cadet nurses are worked just as hard as aviation cadets, but are only paid $15.00 per month and study for 2 and 1/2 years before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. But Diana thinks that it's worth while - really likes the work.

They have a trolley line in this town - just like the "Toonerville Trolley." The cars are real little and just bounce along the rails on their two front wheels and back wheels. We rode the "trolley" out to the park. I really got a big kick out of it.

Yesterday I splurged and bought a ukulele for myself. Another boy here in the barracks has a harmonica - we had a big time tonight.

I'm going to close for now and get this addressed before taps - will write again tomorrow if time permits.

Lots of love,
Jack

p.s. Don't worry - I won't get a CASE on Diana. Jack

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