We Just hung around there for a couple of weeks, not
yet knowing what we were going to be flying. We had classes everyday
on engines, aerodynamics, and air craft identification. They would
flash silhouettes of friendly and enemy aircraft on a screen from
all different angles and we had to identify them immediately. We also
had classes in aerial map reading and continued to have them even
when we were in England flying missions.
After all this time it is difficult to remember the correct sequence
of events as we were stationed at four different locations in the
following weeks. I will attempt to note all the events even though
they may not be at the exact field. After a week at Hamilton we went
by train to Tonapah, Nevada to start flying. We stopped for a couple
of hours in Reno, Nevada and four of us headed for the nearest bar.
I ordered four whiskey sours and told the bartender to just keep
them coming. After the first hour the crowd had grown bigger and the
drinks were still coming. I didn't know who was drinking them, but
when I got the bill, I paid for 75 drinks! I had to help the others
back to the train as they had a lot of trouble crossing several train
tracks on their way back to our train. Tonapah was at the foot of a
mountain range and the airfield was out in the valley toward the next
range. It was flat country with nothing but sand and brush. The
buildings were just wooden shacks and the wind blew the sand
everywhere.
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