Sameplace,

Hello folks,

Here I am again, still in the same old place. I was pleased to receive your welcome letter Mom, and thanks ever so much for the Franciscan offering, and also the picture. I will be looking forward to receiving the little cross. I am glad you liked the little poem. The funny part of it is I only feel like writing them at certain times, especially when I have a lot of spare time on my hands. So don’t expect a deluge of poems – yet. But I promise to get down to a few as soon as possible. You see I don’t write them just because its fun or for any other reason but to express myself and put down on paper my special mood at the time. Sometimes I feel like writing a poem, then 5 minutes later I have lost the mood. I’m sorry to hear you are working so late and hard Dad! Will it be for long?

Hello children, how are y’all? How are you Ray and how is little Babs?

I have just completed my last flight at this school, and have just finished dinner – or should I say “our mess”!, the weather is grand with a warm Chinook wind and were about floating in mud and water. The sun is hot and sparrows are flying about and making an awful racket in the hangers. Some of the boys still have a few flips to do, that is why we are still here. By the time you get this I’ll probably have gone to the next station. I am practically positive I’m going to Portage La Prairie about 40 mils from Winnipeg. So don’t write me again until you here from me.

I’ve had about 30 flips amounting to about 50 hours of flying time, and I have the top average in low level bombing. I made 3 direct hits, one each from 2,000′, 1,000′ and 500′. all are low level. My average is 31 yards from target for 24 bombs. I have dropped about 90 [tt?] bombs from high level = “4,500′” and have an average error of 102 yards from the target. So I should get a few Huns over there, and it sure won’t be long now.

I haven’t heard from Johnny for quite some time, but I know he must be so busy as I was. All I am doing now is waiting for the rest to finish and then we will leave. Boy I sure hope I get on low level bombing over seas e.g. skimming over lakes, jumping fences and grain elevators, using the ground for concealment and speed for protection. When we fly over farm houses here about 10 feet up at 300, the people don’t even see us as we have come and gone and are a long ways away, so you see the Huns hardly have a chance to shoot at us and we we are too low for enemy fighters to dive at us.

Yes, Johnny sure would appreciate a parcel, I think it’s a grand gesture on your part folks. He’s a good head! You tell me about a plane shutting off its motors 3 times. We do it here as a signal that we want the field clear to land. Actually he doesn’t shut off his engines, but changes prop pitch changing the sound. Get it?

Boy I sure am getting restless to see Barbara and all of you, but it will only be “around” 6 weeks and I’ll have my wings and then embarkation leave. So I’ll be

[remainder of letter missing]