When they were finally
posted I got fighter plane and was as happy as the others that did.
Some pilots went to Twin Engine, Transport, Troop Carrier, Light
Bomber, Medium Bomber, Dive Bomber, or Heavy Bomber. The poorest
fliers went to Piper Cubs and flew observation over the battle lines
to direct the field artillery. I am glad that I didn't go to Bomber
planes as they were sent to a field in Alpena, Michigan and flew out
over Lake Michigan. We had to report to the commander to receive our
active duty orders and my friends and I were hoping we would go to
the same place.
I got my orders to report to Hamilton Field in California with a ten
day delay enroute. Naturally all the fighter pilots were split up now
as we were cut down to squadron size and sent to different bases
around the U.S. A lot of my friends, however were assigned to the
same place. Al Johnson, a big Swede from St. Paul Minnesota, was
going to Hamilton and the last thing I said to him was " I'll meet
you in Cheyenne, Wyoming and we'll go the rest of the way together.
We were to report to the 380th squadron of the 363rd fighter group. A
group consisted of three squadrons and I still know all the fellows
in the other squadrons although we didn't fly together.
Now for my first visit home in fifteen months! The parents of B. Bell
of Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, had come to his graduation and I rode
home with them. He was the one who almost crashed with me as a
passenger back in training.
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