Well, in two or three more days it will be 5 months for me - it sure doesn't seem to be that long - I guess I've just lost track of time. We're supposed to finish here the 30th of August so when school is supposed to start next Sept. I will be starting my flying school. They're changing the training program around so we will get in combat duty two to three months earlier. It's now changed so that in primary you fly basic ships instead of primary ones, and in basic you fly advanced ships, and in advanced we will fly the ships we are going to use in combat. Before you went through primary, basic, and advanced, and then when you got you wings you had two to three months flying in your combat ship - which is your choice - bomber, pursuit, etc. It seems that there are a big percent of washouts in basic then primary so they're doing away with primary altogether. I sure will like that for I'll get my P-38 sooner. Don't let anyone tell you any different than that the p-38 is the hottest ship in combat now. It's so hot that the R.A.F. flyers won't fly them - they land at a 100 miles per hour. By the time I'm ready for my ship though there will be a better ship than the P-38.

I had two tests Saturday and I don't think I did so good on either of them. I don't know what I got on them but before I took them my total scholastic average was 94.8%. I hadn't had a test under 90% up to Sat. but I'm afraid I got a couple of 80s on them.

You say that you don't have much to do - well, I'll give you a real job - I don't know if you'll do it or not, but if you do, it has to be done immediately - right now. Well, here it is - Bud and Lois got married on the 6th - Bud got his wings and commission on the 13th, soooo - could you buy a wedding present for them for me? Lord knows what to get. I certainly don't - they don't smoke or drink and I don't know anything about those things. I want something that will be useful and not an ornament - and it has to last forever, nothing that will wear out or be of no use later on. This is some job, I know, but I'll trust your judgment. When you send it to me have it wrapped twice so I'll only have to take the outer cover off and send it on. Be sure the box doesn't bear a label of a chicago store. I would like to get something myself - if I had two or three days to wander about the stores looking, but since it's impossible I hope you will help me out. Bud is now going to navigation school in Carlsbad and Lois is living in town I guess. Boy I sure am glad for those two - they really are a swell couple of kids. I knew Bud would make it. I just hope I do as well - you know it's supposed to be harder to become a pilot, don't you?

I sure had a swell weekend this week. I went with a guy - Sam - to Los Angeles to visit his cousins. We took an electric train and it took two and a half hours to go 30 miles. We got in town, ate supper and then he called them up and they came and got us. They were two girls, one 16 the other 18. Very cute. We stayed overnight and the next morning - this morning, they took us to Long Beach, Laguna Beach and Balboa so I got to see the ocean. Boy, it sure was blue with big waves coming in on the beach. The folks were very nice people and I enjoyed myself immensely. Next week and I'm on Fire Guard so I won't get to go out. Maybe I can get out of it if I try hard enough. Say pa, I told you Jack Roseborough wouldn't look me up. In the first place, he has no reason to and in the second place he doesn't know me and in the third place he's an officer and is no doubt very busy. Bud has been so busy that Lois has had to write his letters for him and he's only starting. In the parade today we had a bet with another squadron - each man bets a dollar and the winning squadron gets the money for the squadron fund which is used mainly for emergency furloughs - we've had four in our squadron already. We are going to have a big party - the whole squadron - it's a graduating party from pre-flight - each man give $15 and then we get a band and hotel while the movie colony supplies the girls. I am going to get my picture took at soon a possible so that will take more money. Oh, I forgot, when you buy the present pay whatever price necessary. Tell me how much it is and I'll send you the money pronto - there's no limit, remember that. I got paid Friday but I have so much to do I won't be able to send home any money until I see how much I have left. Another thing, I can't get any shoes, not even if I have a ticket and I do need a pair. I wonder if pa could buy me a pair - he could try them on - the pair I sent home are one half size too small. My GI shoes are 8 and a half D but I think they run large. If the shoes I sent home are 8 and a half get 9s but if they're 8s get 8 and a halfs. The shoes have to be plain brown (dark brown) - no ridges or seams on the toe - no holes and no buckle strap. Remember my buckle shoes, well get a pair just like them with laces instead of the buckle. You can't go wrong if they're the plainest shoes you can buy. Be sure and send me the bill for I am going to pay for them. I sure am asking you to do an awful lot lot but I really can't do it myself. Oh yes, send my gym shoes back. I know I just sent them home but that's the army for you. My $4 shoes I got at Canyon are shot, they certainly weren't worth that much. Well, anyway, they said I could wear my gym shoes soooo.

The patch I sent Connie is just like the one I wear on my blouse - it's the cadet patch - I also wear an air corps patch on my blouse. I am supposed to have the air corps patch on my xxxx shirts too. Say, did I tell you Ronie (the boy from St. Charles who went to Elmhurst) is in Conn. going to school. He sure got a lucky break. This pen is lousy it doesn't hold any ink at all. I got a letter from Em the other day telling me all about her job. I guess she likes it pretty much. I got some stuff from the cleaners the other day. I have to take my watch out and have it fixed too. My blouse was such a nice fit I don't have to have it tailored. Well, I have to study for a gunnery test so I better close this. We're studying the 50 caliber machine gun - the one you use on planes and we have to take it apart and know the name of every piece and what it does. Incidentally, have you noticed any articles about radar? If you have, read all of them for that's really something. Nothing can be said as yet but that little device will bring this war to an end much sooner than if we didn't have it. It's impossible to bomb this country with success as long as it works. Well, enough of that, I've said too much already. I hope you can get everything done alright. Give my love to all and be good - I'll try and write twice a week from now on. Tomorrow we start classes in the morning so maybe I'll have more time.

Love,
Rae