U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS

MAXWELL FIELD, ALA.

Saturday

Dear Students –

I’m honestly ashamed of myself for not answering sooner and for not acknowledging the receipt of your gift – but time really flies in the air corps.

Left home Jan. 30^th + spent 1 month at Atlantic City. Then 4 months at the 60^th CTD at the U. of Pittsburgh where I had quite a wonderful time. Then 1 month at Nashville where I was classified as a pilot (I hope) + then 6 weeks here at Maxwell for Pre-flight. In another 2 weeks I’ll leave for Primary and some actual flying.

Just received your Memorial Day letter, and honestly, it was great to get news from school.

Too bad about Johnny Hull. It was wonderful to hear that Ben Scuda was rescued. I heard through the grapevine that he was missing and I had given him up for lost.

Harry Smith is in OCS at Camp Lee, Va. Bob Connor, the other member of the “horrible three”, (I’ll be the cafeteria has never been the same since we left) is a Sgt on a B17. He’s a turret gunner and ass’t radio gunner + right now is overseas, where I don’t know. I’d hate to think of the damage if we ever got together again.

Although I’ve been in the service for about 9 months, no sign of a furlough until I graduate, which should be in April.

If you know “Babe” D’Auteuil’s address, would you please send it to me. Last I heard, he was flying with the navy in new Foundland.

Best of luck, + thanks again for boosting my morale.

My best to the Profs, the carralls, Rita Cassels, Parky, and all the rest.

A/c George Greenspon

Sq. C group 4

Maxwell Field, Ala.

P.S. Bobbe Bouseu – didn’t mean to forget you.

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Wednesday

Bryant Service Club—
Providence, R. I.

Dear Students—

I received your Christmas greetings last month and it’s a wonder I did. I had 4 new addresses from the one sent to me. You see, it isn’t your fault, but in cadet training, you rarely stay more than 9 weeks in one camp.

I’m now in Basic with about 3 more months ahead before graduation and those wings.

January 30th marked my first anniversary in the army.—It sure has been a long one.

Heard from Fred & Ada Carroll recently. It sure seems like a long time ago (1942) that Bob Connor and I dished out food behind the counter. Ask anyone who was at school then and they will vouch for it—never again will there be such service—for which the Carroll’s will heave a sigh of relief.

Bob is a S/Sgt. And gunner on a B17 over England. It sure would be grand seeing him again.

Have to rush off to get some night flying now. By [sic] best to Gardner Jacobs, (if he’s still there), the Carrolls, Rita Cassels, George Richards and all the rest.

Thanks again for remembering me.

A/C George Greenspon

P. S. The ration of girls to boys is surely an inducement to take some P. G. work!

A/C George Greenspon—11100552
Flight 2-B (44-E)
G.A.A.F.
Greenville, Miss.
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Bryant Service Club
Providence, Rhode Island

Dear Members:

Its not that I like to type especially, its just that I rarely have the occassion [sic] to use the machine, so when the opportunity presents itself, I take advantage of it. This all means that I’m Officer of the Day today, and right now its 7 at night and I’m in Headquarters, all alone, getting caught up on my correspondence like crazy.

I received your Christmas letter in tact [sic], even though it had to be shuttled back and forth [across] the country a couple of times. Let me warn you here and now, that I’m a very poor correspondent (and even a worse typist)….see what I mean.

From the address you sent the Christmas letter to, I better try to get you caught up on my doings the past year. It seems that I was at Basic when I last sent you my address. Well, I graduated from single engine advanced in Jackson, Miss. Last May. From there I went west to Arizona where I took a two week gunnery course. Then up to Victorville, California, which is about 100 miles from Los Angeles, where I stayed until October flying the P-39 Airacobra, made a couple of ferry trips to Texas and up to Seattle, Washington. You see, the Russians use the P-39 quite extensively and I guess they picked them up in Seattle. Aside from that, I just hung around getting in the way while I tried to get into an RTU (Replacement Training Unit). I guess they got tired of seeing me mope around because they shipped me down to Williams Field, Arizona where I stayed until November doing some more ferrying—this time of AT-6’s. I reported to Lemoore, Calif. On the 15th of November. This is the processing in center for the fourth air force, of which I now am a member. I stayed there for another two weeks, and then on December 2nd, I finally arrived at my goal—RTU, here at Santa Rosa. I’m to get 120 hours in the P-38 and then overseas. Its been a long struggle, but now that I’m here, I’m amazed that I’m not dissappointed [sic]. The Lightning is everything that its cracked up to be, and I like it head and shoulders above the other fighters that I’ve flown so far.

I guess that brings me up to date, and at the same time, just about runs me out of conversation. Let me again express my thanks for not forgetting me, and if anyone there cares to drop me a line occasionally, I promise to answer within a respectable period.

As ever
George Greenspon
Class ‘42

Lt. George A. Greenspon O-831535
T Squadron
Army Air Field
Santa Rosa, California
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