Keywords

World War II

Rights Management

All rights retained by Bryant University

Transcription

[Transcription begins]

“WEST POINT OF THE AIR”

July 25, 1942

Dear Bryant Co-Ed:

While going through some papers, I came across your letter of April 27 and decided to answer it late as it is.

Having forgotten almost everything Mr. Naylor taught me about correspondence while I was at Bryant I will try to compose an interesting and reasonable letter.

I am a lieutenant in the Air Corps and was assigned to Randolph Field as a flying instructor last May much against my will. When I received my wings I had visions of flying bombers in Australia but these have long since faded into the distance. My work here consists of teaching flying cadets to fly basic trainers and myself to fly the new fighting ships as fast as the Army receives them.

In case you have ambitions of becoming a flying instructor, here is an accounting of a day’s work. At 8:00 A.M. (a reasonable hour) I go to the flying line and make a preflight inspection of my plane and any plane my students may fly. At 9:00 A.M. the eager! young! cadets arrive. Five are assigned and report to me. We have a little talk about what is expected of them and then start flying. I fly one hour with each student and spend about 15 minutes criticizing the student’s flight. By about 4 P.M. we are through flying unless night flying is scheduled. I give the planes their daily inspection and put them to bed. After spending about an hour making out students’ grade slips for the day’s work it is 6 P.M. and suppertime. We are then off until 8 P.M. when night flying starts. This is just a repetition of the day’s flying and usually lasts until 2 A.M. If no night flying is scheduled we teach ground school until about 10 P.M. We get time off every time weather does not permit flying. Otherwise the above schedule goes on seven days a week.

For recreation I generally get about an hour’s swimming just before supper at the pool at the Officers’ Club which is pretty nice.

You can tell my teachers at Bryant that I never knew what they were up against until I started teaching navigation, meteorology, etc. to these cadets. If you have a chance I would appreciate your showing this letter to Mr. Gulski. I am sure he will remember me as I was more trouble to him than most students.

I also wish to express my thanks for the packages from the Bryant Service Club and the Bryant Alumni Bulletin which arrives frequently.

Texas isn’t a very good place to spend the summer and work here is very monotonous. I would like to be back in New England where the temperature isn’t 100-110° almost every day. I think that if I am a good boy I may get a five day leave around Christmas. However, with all the flying regulations we have here it is very hard to behave myself considering my reckless nature. Twice so far I have been reprimanded for doing maneuvers which are considered bad examples to students. They will admit I am still alive so my flying must be safe enough.

Please let me hear more about the happenings at Bryant and in Providence.

Sincerely,

Kirke Everson [Transcription ends]

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