DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

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Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

1943-02-24: Page 04

wiggle. And then there were the days of the Farm Bureau picnic when you were county agent - ice cream at Wilburs - and all that sort of thing - including the watermelon stealing episode starring R. Stacy and K. Clarke. Man, what times we use to have. For your benefit, perhaps a brief recital of my activities the past year would not be out of order. Three days after reporting at Kansas City for elimination training the Japs jumped on Pearl Harbor completely unarmed by the Navys' new recruit with the AA sweater. By the first of February I had learned to solo with some degree of safety, and had just begun to log a little dual time with a beautiful creature out on Pawnee Road, when I was ordered to the pilots pool at New Orleans. For about ten days I endured a most rigorous ground school schedule (no flying) plus a 4 hour watch every third night. At the end of this most disagreeable period a big batch of us were unexpectedly hurried on to Pensacola. My training there - and it was pretty doggone intensive- lasted until the latter part of June. Flew several different types of training planes - N314, Steerman, Vultee, SNJ, and one service type, an OS2U on wheels. In accordance with my choice, which seldom happens in the Navy, I was sent to Miami for fighter training around the first of July. Operated in SNJs most of the time, known in the Army as the Harvard, and finished up with 20 hours in the F2A or Brewster Buffalo. Received my wings and commission on Sept 3rd, and raced home on 15 days leave. Found most of my girl friends married, pledged, or disaffected, and the majority of my male buddies away in the service. Spent a quiet week with

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wiggle. And then there were the days of the Farm Bureau picnic when you were county agent - ice cream at Wilburs - and all that sort of thing - including the watermelon stealing episode starring R. Stacy and K. Clarke. Man, what times we use to have. For your benefit, perhaps a brief recital of my activities the past year would not be out of order. Three days after reporting at Kansas City for elimination training the Japs jumped on Pearl Harbor completely unarmed by the Navys' new recruit with the AA sweater. By the first of February I had learned to solo with some degree of safety, and had just begun to log a little dual time with a beautiful creature out on Pawnee Road, when I was ordered to the pilots pool at New Orleans. For about ten days I endured a most rigorous ground school schedule (no flying) plus a 4 hour watch every third night. At the end of this most disagreeable period a big batch of us were unexpectedly hurried on to Pensacola. My training there - and it was pretty doggone intensive- lasted until the latter part of June. Flew several different types of training planes - N314, Steerman, Vultee, SNJ, and one service type, an OS2U on wheels. In accordance with my choice, which seldom happens in the Navy, I was sent to Miami for fighter training around the first of July. Operated in SNJs most of the time, known in the Army as the Harvard, and finished up with 20 hours in the F2A or Brewster Buffalo. Received my wings and commission on Sept 3rd, and raced home on 15 days leave. Found most of my girl friends married, pledged, or disaffected, and the majority of my male buddies away in the service. Spent a quiet week with