Bill’s Original Letter
June 30,1992
Dear Marcia:
I enlisted in Chicago 111. on the 3 of April 42. My conviction was that I should go regular in the army. They shipped me to Mo. for basic training and then I was accepted for airplane mechanics school at Kessler Field in Biloxi Miss.
Then from there I had my first furlough and I came home. When I attended church the congregation did not accept my choice. The church father decided to kick me and the kind out. They gave me a letter in good faith and I am Presbyterian at the present.
From mechanics school they asked me to take the Avn Cdt screening test and I passed it. Then they shipped me to Kelly Field for basic & Corsicana Texas for flight training and I didn’t make the grade for a pilot. From their I was located at the Forth Worth Air force base. My job was areal Engineer on B24 traing pilots and finally they shipped me overseas. I was assigned to the 327 Ferrying Squadron near the battle of the Rhineland & through an accident I got my legs hurt and I was Hospitalized for a time in Naples Italy for a few weeks. I spent 0-10-21 days overseas & on VE day was put on first ship coming back in hospital deck. The ship docked at a New Jersey Port. They put me on a hospital train and I arrived at Santa Fe New Mexico in Hospital (army) Had some surgeries and time to recuperate and was finally discharged at Forth Leavenworth Kans on Dec 9-1945 (my time in service was from April 3-1942 – Dec 9-1945. By the way if I had to do it over I would probably do the same.
Love
Bill
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