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dc.creatorHays, Joseph Warren
dc.date.accessioned2020-09-02T18:22:37Z
dc.date.available2020-09-02T18:22:37Z
dc.date.issued1943-11-20
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/40471
dc.descriptionHays explains his flying tests and that he was able to identify every plane on the test. He is hoping for a furlough soon. Wants mom to send cookies.
dc.format.mediumpaper
dc.languageen_US
dc.relationJoseph Warren Hays Papers (MS 159)
dc.rightsPrior written permission from TCU Special Collections required to use any file.
dc.sourceSeries I, Box 1, Folder 3
dc.subjectWorld War II
dc.subjectUnited States Army
dc.subjectUnited States Army Air Corps
dc.titleHays letter to family
dc.typeDocument
dc.description.transcription11-20-43Dear Folks,After a bad start I’ll try to get a letter written. We have open post tonight but I decided that since I was so far behind with my letter writing I’d stay at home tonight, catch up with my writing, go to bed early, get up in the morning, and go to Helena, Ark., with two or three boys to see some of my friends over there. Besides that I want to cross that river. My first set back was that I found out I wasn’t eligible for open post tonight anyhow because I had a tour to walk. I gotthis tour for signing my name improperly to one of the many forms I have to fill out every time I go up in an airplane. Every error made costs one tour, 50 minutes of walking, this was my first error and last I hope. Anyhow I walked my tour, came to the barracks to write a letter.After hunting for my fountain pen, giving up, listening to the radio a while, getting into a bull session, hunting for my fountain pen some more and finding it, I am at last ready to start writing the letter.You know I’ve said all along that this is where the real work as well as the fun would start. I wasn’t wrong on either score. I love to fly, but that doesn’t hide the awful truth that it is hard, especially when you do it the army way. We have civilian instructors but they have been told by the armyhow to instruct. They won’t stop at anything less that perfection on any maneuver. All the while we are being taught new things faster than we can possibly learn them. That’s the Army’s way of doing things and in the end it gets results. Back at Maxwell I didn’t think I’d ever be able to identify any airplane at 1/10 or 1/25 of a second especially when they gave us two new ones every day. But the day the final examination came I knew all of the planes. Any fool could get that stuffthough if they would just sit through class and concentrate a little bit. This flying is a little bit different, some got what it takes and some ain’t. I think I got it, but I can’t be too sure yet. I have 7 hours and 47 minutes with 13 landings. It is impossible to even start to think about soloing until I get 11 hours and 30 landings. It’ll be at least a week and half before I can get all of this work in and maybe more so don’t look for the proclamation of the great day for a while yet.Amy asked about the weather here, so far it has been good, except early in the morning. I can’t see the horizon because it is so hazey. The horizon is a very important landmark in keeping the wings level, and holding a constant altitude. This, of course, adds to the difficulty of flying. She also asked about my progress, ducking etc. Everything that happened to Jerome will happen to me except that will be approximately one month later. Brother asked what the P.T. in the P.T. 23 stand for. It is Primary Trainer and not pursuit trainer. In my next phase I’ll fly B.T.’s or Barrack Trainers, and my next A.T.’s or advanced trainers. I don’t remember what anybody else asked except about this problem of Xmas presents. I am halfway like Iris on the subject. I’m not giving any but I’mnot saying I’ll refuse to receive any. I can’t give any hints as to what I want because I don’t need a thing, especially I don’t need luggage, I think that, that item has been mentioned three times that is why I mention it in particular. I don’t need a watch now and when I do need one it will be a G.I. watch that I’ll have to have. The only thing that I really want can be supplied by that General who has his offices in Ft. Worth. It is a F U R L O U G H. Naturally that is out of the question unless you caninvite him out to the house, feed him a home cooked meal and have a heart to heart talk with him. And if you do, Papa, don’t call him Dr.It is my bed time if I am going to get up early in the morning and go to Helen so I’ll quit.


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  • Joseph Warren Hays Papers [162]
    The collection includes a complete set of letters written by Joseph Warren Hays to his family while serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II. The letters detail his aviation training across the United States and his service in Europe toward the end of the war. In his later years, Mr. Hays wrote recollections of his missions over Europe. The collection also includes printed publications, newspaper clippings, a scrapbook, a photograph of Hays, and ephemera.

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