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Nile Kinnick correspondence, June-August 1942
1942-07-26: Front
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Monday July 26, 1942 U. S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIAMI. FLORIDA Dear People, It is now four thirty and our flight has been secured from squadron until Wed. morning, our liberty day having rolled around again. We are suppose to be athletics until 5:30, but our flight leader, a captain in the Marines, has spoken a word in the right place, and thus we are free to leave earlier than usual. However, since Marvin is restricted for a few days because he failed to see a waveoff from the signalman I shall dash you off a letter before going up town. Knowing of no one else whose company I desire, I plan to drive over to the Beach for something to eat, a movie, and a hotel room by myself. Tomorrow morning I shall have a chance to do a little studying and write a few letters. After a short while on the beach I must go down into Miami proper and see if I can make arrangements for a gas rationing card. Very probably I shall buy a Time, catch up on the news, see another movie, and then drive back to the base again. I suppose it doesn't sound like a very exciting way to spend your liberty, and it isn't, but it is quite restful and acceptable in lieu of anything better. Now that I think of it, I don't believe that I have written you since the last liberty day, but for reasons that were good, and that I mentioned to you, I'm sure. Did I mention that I pchsed a small five tube Emerson radio set my last time in town? It is nothing wonderful but serves my purpose quite well. We can get the news and two or three stations with what programs they have to offer, which isn't much, mostly hill-billy songs and Spanish music. We finished up night flying night before last with a short cross country hop down south of Homestead and back again. There was nothing to it, but good experience in flying a course and keeping your section out of the clouds, etc. I led my section down and another chap brought us back. It was a beautiful night, the moon was almost full, the stars glittering feebly by comparison; the clouds were massive, forming strange shapes off to the right and ahead of us. I wish that you might have been in the rear cockpit, Gus. We have one more gunnery run left then we shall be divided up for scout or fighter training. I shall be piloting the tow plane next time, so my record is already in, and it is quite unimpressive. Unhappily, my gun jammed this last time out after I had fired only five rounds. It was awfully disappointing, for I thought that I was really getting down on the sleeve just about every time. I may put in for fighters anyway and unless the other boys do a whole lot better on
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Monday July 26, 1942 U. S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIAMI. FLORIDA Dear People, It is now four thirty and our flight has been secured from squadron until Wed. morning, our liberty day having rolled around again. We are suppose to be athletics until 5:30, but our flight leader, a captain in the Marines, has spoken a word in the right place, and thus we are free to leave earlier than usual. However, since Marvin is restricted for a few days because he failed to see a waveoff from the signalman I shall dash you off a letter before going up town. Knowing of no one else whose company I desire, I plan to drive over to the Beach for something to eat, a movie, and a hotel room by myself. Tomorrow morning I shall have a chance to do a little studying and write a few letters. After a short while on the beach I must go down into Miami proper and see if I can make arrangements for a gas rationing card. Very probably I shall buy a Time, catch up on the news, see another movie, and then drive back to the base again. I suppose it doesn't sound like a very exciting way to spend your liberty, and it isn't, but it is quite restful and acceptable in lieu of anything better. Now that I think of it, I don't believe that I have written you since the last liberty day, but for reasons that were good, and that I mentioned to you, I'm sure. Did I mention that I pchsed a small five tube Emerson radio set my last time in town? It is nothing wonderful but serves my purpose quite well. We can get the news and two or three stations with what programs they have to offer, which isn't much, mostly hill-billy songs and Spanish music. We finished up night flying night before last with a short cross country hop down south of Homestead and back again. There was nothing to it, but good experience in flying a course and keeping your section out of the clouds, etc. I led my section down and another chap brought us back. It was a beautiful night, the moon was almost full, the stars glittering feebly by comparison; the clouds were massive, forming strange shapes off to the right and ahead of us. I wish that you might have been in the rear cockpit, Gus. We have one more gunnery run left then we shall be divided up for scout or fighter training. I shall be piloting the tow plane next time, so my record is already in, and it is quite unimpressive. Unhappily, my gun jammed this last time out after I had fired only five rounds. It was awfully disappointing, for I thought that I was really getting down on the sleeve just about every time. I may put in for fighters anyway and unless the other boys do a whole lot better on
Nile Kinnick Collection
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