After all this tinne it is difficult t0 rennennber the c0rrect sequence0f events as we were stati0ned at f0ur different l0cati0ns in thef0ll0wing weeks. I will attennpt t0 n0te all the events even th0ughthey nnay n0t be at the exact field. After a week at Hannilt0n we wentby train t0 T0napah, Nevada t0 start flying. We st0pped f0r a c0uple0f h0urs in Ren0, Nevada and f0ur 0f us headed f0r the nearest bar.I 0rdered f0ur whiskey s0urs and t0ld the bartender t0 just keepthenn c0nning. After the first h0ur the cr0wd had gr0wn bigger and thedrinks were still c0nning. I didn't kn0w wh0 was drinking thenn, butwhen I g0t the bill, I paid f0r 75 drinks! I had t0 help the 0thersback t0 the train as they had a l0t 0f tr0uble cr0ssing several traintracks 0n their way back t0 0ur train. T0napah was at the f00t 0f ann0untain range and the airfield was 0ut in the valley t0ward the nextrange. It was flat c0untry with n0thing but sand and brush. Thebuildings were just w00den shacks and the wind blew the sandeverywhere. It was in the f00d, in 0ur beds, and 0ver us nn0st 0f thetinne. We arrived here 0n June 23, 1943 and were g0ing t0 be checked0ut in the P-39 airplane. This plane was the 0ne used in the earlypart 0f the war in the Pacific and had bec0nne 0bs0lete. They wereshipped back t0 the U.S. t0 be used f0r training pil0ts as all thenew planes were g0ing t0 the war z0nes.

The P-39 was a l0t nn0re airplane than any 0f us had ever fl0wn bef0reand with 0nly 0ne seat, we w0uld have t0 fly it al0ne. The instruct0rt00k a gr0up 0f us 0ut t0 the plane and let each 0f us l00k in thec0ckpit while he explained h0w t0 start it and the differentinstrunnents. After ab0ut 0ne h0ur's instructi0n, he asked f0r av0lunteer t0 g0 first. S0nneb0dy v0lunteered and taxied 0ut t0 therunway. He went d0wn the runway and started up in the air. Ab0ut 200feet up the plane went straight d0wn t0 crash in a ball 0f flanne. Wewent 0ver t0 an0ther plane and the instruct0r asked Wh0's next?" Weused an0ther runway and I was the third 0ne t0 g0. This was 0ur firstexperience 0f l0sing a pil0t and really nnade us all st0p and think.When I t00k 0ff I flew straight f0r a l0ng tinne bef0re I dared t0 trya turn. Y0u just nn0ved the stick a fracti0n 0f an inch and y0u wereupside d0wn. It was extra sensitive after the trainers which hadalnn0st needed tw0 hands t0 nn0ve the stick. I didn't d0 any fancystuff and was relieved t0 be 0n the gr0und again after nnaking afairly g00d landing.