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Nile Kinnick correspondence, June-August 1942

1942-08-25: Page 05

The tower man argued with them for sometime and then ordered them to retract the wheels and land on the belly. They did, and tore up the plane quite a little but escaped unhurt themselves. It seems to me that crashes must be at a minimum considering the immense amount of flying that is being done; tho it may be that the papers do not get all such news. Pray to be delivered from errors and that you and those about you can express nothing less that the complete idea, with nothing forgotten, nothing omitted, nothing lost. Nile, one of your last letters spoke of a cross-country flight to Belle Glade and Fellsmere. Uncle Don's peerless atlas shows both spots, and perfectly on the courses given. Maybe you should have one of the compendiums in your map case. They show Tokyo and Berlin very plainly, as well as many other points of interest. When you see Churchill I wish you would ask him for his route to Moscow and back. I should like to know just how they go, both for direct flight and for the Cairo detour. You have asked if I am still Air Raid Warden. To be sure; but that is about all. There has been an almost utter lack of activity in that particular district, I understand  because a man appointed as organizer originally, failed to function. Now another has been selected, so I learned by diligent inquiry, and I assume that active training will ensue. Other districts have completed their preliminary training and have their armbands. I have nothing to prove my distinction. So Bert hasn't missed so much thus far. He seemed to be bearing up remarkably well when I saw him yesterday. There has been considerable activity in First Aid training, particularly among the women. As far as I have learned, the distinguishing result has been several thousand "trained" women with an equal number of ideas on how the remedies should be applied. Such bickerings, such attempts to assert ones opinions, such dirth of efficiency, such wasted energies. Appears to be a piece of the national mind, for which shame on all of us. I am reminded of the pulling and hauling, the conflicts and the factions which existed during the Revolutionary War and during the Civil War. It seems to me that there is more unity now, but certainly we must do better. Nile, I am enclosing the last two Kiplinger letters which I believe will be of interest to you. Issued on Saturday, and reach Omaha on Monday. Some of us in the office subscribe. Nile I put another dollar in the slot for the Register. That should take it to about Sept. 20th. If you leave before that you may assign it to some worthy Iowan. Crop conditions continue ideal. The corn and soy bean crops will be immense. Cribs will overflow for certain. We should have several weeks of dry weather now to mature those crops before frost time. Nature surely is doing her part this year. Ben I indited a long letter to Mrs. White's daughter last week and I found it a very easy task, or should I say, a gentle pleasure. I wish to testify to a growing regard for this young woman on whom your affections have settled. A mere expression of approbation seems mild indeed, but I do approve your choice; definitely. Goodbye for now, and may all good attend you. Love  Pop

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The tower man argued with them for sometime and then ordered them to retract the wheels and land on the belly. They did, and tore up the plane quite a little but escaped unhurt themselves. It seems to me that crashes must be at a minimum considering the immense amount of flying that is being done; tho it may be that the papers do not get all such news. Pray to be delivered from errors and that you and those about you can express nothing less that the complete idea, with nothing forgotten, nothing omitted, nothing lost. Nile, one of your last letters spoke of a cross-country flight to Belle Glade and Fellsmere. Uncle Don's peerless atlas shows both spots, and perfectly on the courses given. Maybe you should have one of the compendiums in your map case. They show Tokyo and Berlin very plainly, as well as many other points of interest. When you see Churchill I wish you would ask him for his route to Moscow and back. I should like to know just how they go, both for direct flight and for the Cairo detour. You have asked if I am still Air Raid Warden. To be sure; but that is about all. There has been an almost utter lack of activity in that particular district, I understand because a man appointed as organizer originally, failed to function. Now another has been selected, so I learned by diligent inquiry, and I assume that active training will ensue. Other districts have completed their preliminary training and have their armbands. I have nothing to prove my distinction. So Bert hasn't missed so much thus far. He seemed to be bearing up remarkably well when I saw him yesterday. There has been considerable activity in First Aid training, particularly among the women. As far as I have learned, the distinguishing result has been several thousand "trained" women with an equal number of ideas on how the remedies should be applied. Such bickerings, such attempts to assert ones opinions, such dirth of efficiency, such wasted energies. Appears to be a piece of the national mind, for which shame on all of us. I am reminded of the pulling and hauling, the conflicts and the factions which existed during the Revolutionary War and during the Civil War. It seems to me that there is more unity now, but certainly we must do better. Nile, I am enclosing the last two Kiplinger letters which I believe will be of interest to you. Issued on Saturday, and reach Omaha on Monday. Some of us in the office subscribe. Nile I put another dollar in the slot for the Register. That should take it to about Sept. 20th. If you leave before that you may assign it to some worthy Iowan. Crop conditions continue ideal. The corn and soy bean crops will be immense. Cribs will overflow for certain. We should have several weeks of dry weather now to mature those crops before frost time. Nature surely is doing her part this year. Ben I indited a long letter to Mrs. White's daughter last week and I found it a very easy task, or should I say, a gentle pleasure. I wish to testify to a growing regard for this young woman on whom your affections have settled. A mere expression of approbation seems mild indeed, but I do approve your choice; definitely. Goodbye for now, and may all good attend you. Love Pop