Keywords

World War II;Navigation School; Coral Gables, Florida;Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment;celestial navigation;Pan American Airways;University of Miami

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All rights retained by Bryant University

Transcription

[Transcription begins]

ARMY AIR FORCES FLYING TRAINING DETACHMENT
NAVIGATION SCHOOL
CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA

Jan. 23, 1944

Bryant Service Club:

Dear Sirs:

Many thanks for your generous Christmas gift. No need for me to say how much I look forward to your letters about whats what with the boys. It’s a pleasant surprise to read about the fellas I studied with and where they are located.

As for myself – I’ve been down here at Coral Gables soaking up the sunshine for the last four months. Uncle Sam is trying to make a navigator out of me and the end is not too far ahead. We are stationed here at the University of Miami and Pan American Airways gives us all the navigation instruction. These Pan American men are just about the best in the business and they really try to give you the benefit of all their experience.

Navigation is quite a subject to master and needless to say it’s quite different than the accounting I absorbed at Bryant. Now that we are proficient in celestial navigation I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sit under a starry sky with a bundle of charm and not think in terms of altitude and [indecipherable] of the heavenly bodies as they wheel by.

Our graduation day is Feb. 12, an of course we then get – FURLOUGHS! It will be my first leave since I entered the service – one year almost to the day.

Again I want to thank you for your package and letter.

Best wishes to all my friends and good luck to the Bryant Service Club.

Yours Truly

A/C Harry A. Melkonian
Bryant ‘40 [Transcription ends]

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