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Nile Kinnick correspondence, June-August 1942

1942-08-08: Page 01

Saturday eve
August 8, 1942
Dear Folks:
Last Tuesday I went out to Jim Carroll's for supper again.  It was
very nice of him to extend a second invitation, and I thoroughly enjoyed
the home cooking and conversation. Stayed all night at the Patrician
as per usual and followed the same schedule the next day--slept late,
studied awhile, took a swim, attended to some matters in town, saw a
show, and then returned to the base.  The matters in town consisted of
leaving my newly received officer uniforms to be altered and picking
up a tire. The manager of the tire shop didn't have much luck fixing
up the Goodyear I injured on the way over from Pensacola, but evidently
feeling that he was somewhat at fault in completely ruining it, he did
get me another one in pretty fair shape and only charged me three bucks.
I got off so economically I feel that I, perhaps, was gouged somewhere,
but maybe not. At any rate at the present writing I am pretty well
satisfied with the way it turned out.
Have now had eight or nine hours in fighter training consisting
entirely of formation work, the section now consisting of just two
planes rather than three. Am getting along pretty well, but everything
seems to move so slowly. Sometimes I feel as if I shall never finish
this training grind.  Bob learned a couple of days ago that he is to
get fighters also.  I am glad for him as it is always nice to get what
you ask for. Maybe you are wondering if we shall fly any F4Fs down
here. The answer is no.  It very possibly could be that we would get
all of our training in SNJs.  There are some F2Fs and F3Fs on the
station but they are bi-planes you know and I would be quite satisfied
if we never had a chance to fly them.  The F2As (a Brewster midwing
monoplane and pretty daggone fast) are usually given to the British
students to fly since they are still using some of them in their fleet
and we are not.
Jack Riley, a boy from Burlington whom I knew in the Ia.
law school, and who latterly married Mary McHugh of Soo City, a DG
at Iowa, is now situated in Miami in connection with the FBI.  They
have asked me out to dinner next Wed. night. Am looking forward to
seeing and talking with some Iowa People again.
Guess whom I had a long distance telephone call from the other
night? Kingsley, can you imagine that, it was a complete surprise.
He is now stationed at Camp Murphy near West Palm Beach, only about
sixty or seventy miles from here.  Besides the telephone call we have
had a quick exchange of letters in which we tentatively plan to get
together one week from next Thursday night. He gets every night off
until the next morning's reveille and also Sunday, while I only get
every eighth day.  Therefore, I suggested that I drive up to WPB
after secure a week from Thurs. and we could talk until he thought
he should get back to camp for a little sleep. I think I can manage
to get enough gas somehow or another. A letter from Bob Stacy in
San Diego states that he is being sent back to Detroit for training
as an electrician, there being too many storekeepers already in the
Navy.  J. George in Motor Transport, King in radio repair, and Stace
an electrician, it is hard to figure out. Shouldn't be surprised
if I am made an assistant engineering officer aboard my carrier, wouldn't
that be something?
Just finished Tolstoy's War and Peace, hailed by all critics
as the greatest novel ever written. Waded through its 1300 odd pages
during my spare moments in the past two or three weeks, and found

Saving...

Saturday eve August 8, 1942 Dear Folks: Last Tuesday I went out to Jim Carroll's for supper again. It was very nice of him to extend a second invitation, and I thoroughly enjoyed the home cooking and conversation. Stayed all night at the Patrician as per usual and followed the same schedule the next day--slept late, studied awhile, took a swim, attended to some matters in town, saw a show, and then returned to the base. The matters in town consisted of leaving my newly received officer uniforms to be altered and picking up a tire. The manager of the tire shop didn't have much luck fixing up the Goodyear I injured on the way over from Pensacola, but evidently feeling that he was somewhat at fault in completely ruining it, he did get me another one in pretty fair shape and only charged me three bucks. I got off so economically I feel that I, perhaps, was gouged somewhere, but maybe not. At any rate at the present writing I am pretty well satisfied with the way it turned out. Have now had eight or nine hours in fighter training consisting entirely of formation work, the section now consisting of just two planes rather than three. Am getting along pretty well, but everything seems to move so slowly. Sometimes I feel as if I shall never finish this training grind. Bob learned a couple of days ago that he is to get fighters also. I am glad for him as it is always nice to get what you ask for. Maybe you are wondering if we shall fly any F4Fs down here. The answer is no. It very possibly could be that we would get all of our training in SNJs. There are some F2Fs and F3Fs on the station but they are bi-planes you know and I would be quite satisfied if we never had a chance to fly them. The F2As (a Brewster midwing monoplane and pretty daggone fast) are usually given to the British students to fly since they are still using some of them in their fleet and we are not. Jack Riley, a boy from Burlington whom I knew in the Ia. law school, and who latterly married Mary McHugh of Soo City, a DG at Iowa, is now situated in Miami in connection with the FBI. They have asked me out to dinner next Wed. night. Am looking forward to seeing and talking with some Iowa People again. Guess whom I had a long distance telephone call from the other night? Kingsley, can you imagine that, it was a complete surprise. He is now stationed at Camp Murphy near West Palm Beach, only about sixty or seventy miles from here. Besides the telephone call we have had a quick exchange of letters in which we tentatively plan to get together one week from next Thursday night. He gets every night off until the next morning's reveille and also Sunday, while I only get every eighth day. Therefore, I suggested that I drive up to WPB after secure a week from Thurs. and we could talk until he thought he should get back to camp for a little sleep. I think I can manage to get enough gas somehow or another. A letter from Bob Stacy in San Diego states that he is being sent back to Detroit for training as an electrician, there being too many storekeepers already in the Navy. J. George in Motor Transport, King in radio repair, and Stace an electrician, it is hard to figure out. Shouldn't be surprised if I am made an assistant engineering officer aboard my carrier, wouldn't that be something? Just finished Tolstoy's War and Peace, hailed by all critics as the greatest novel ever written. Waded through its 1300 odd pages during my spare moments in the past two or three weeks, and found