Amarillo Army Air Field

Amarillo, Texas

Sat. Nov. 13, ‘43

9:00 p.m.

Dear Brother Wayne,

I was very glad to get your letter, the only thing you should [have] done was write a little bit more. I got it at noon today and I was quite surprised to get a letter from Mr. Wayne Keith. I didn’t know you were such a good writer.

You said you wished you were in the Army so you wouldn’t have to hold out the cow. Well I’ll tell you a little bit about what I do on some of the easy days. I get up at 6:15 every morning, its really cold and the moon is shining. We have about five minutes to get ready and make our beds and then “fall out” in front of the barracks. “Fallout” means – get outside on the double. “On the double” means running. We stand out there for a while til we have roll call, then we go to chow. We have to march everywhere we all go together.

After we eat we march back and begin to drill or else go on detail. To “drill” is practice marching. Detail is special work we have to do. Day before yesterday I had to go on K.P. at 5:00 in the morning and I go off at 9:00 at night, it wasn’t very hard. K.P. means kitchen police; we weren’t police we just worked in the kitchen. I got all I wanted to eat anyway. This morning I went on special detail and helped dig on a hole. I didn’t have to work very hard. It all pays the same. Yesterday we went over the obstacle course and I beat the 8 men I started with and the 2 groups of 8 each that started before I did. That course is really hard, you had better keep practicing. You’ve already got a good start. Study hard in school too. I have had to take a lot of tests too. Not very many of the men pass those examinations. Read a lot and learn about everything. It isn’t hard to learn things if you will think about what you are studying and not about flying airplanes.

After you get out with a lot of men like in the Army, everyone is different, some good and some not so good. I can tell every man who is a Mormon without even talking to them. You can tell the ones who smoke and drink, they never make it very far. If they don’t fail the mental exam, they almost always fail the physical. You can also tell the fellows who have studied. Only the men who lived right and who have studied are the ones who can be pilots and even some of them can’t be. A boy the other day (I didn’t even know him then) told me that I was a Mormon and that I would make it as far as I tried to go. I later found out that he was a boy from Price, Utah. He had moved there from back East 2 years ago. You see people can always tell the boys who do the right things. Don’t forget that and don’t forget to keep trying all the time. I’m glad you are interested in Primary. I was a Blazer once, but I think that I stopped about there. You hadn’t better do that. Keep going and try to learn what they teach you. Pay attention to your teachers in Primary and school even if the other boys don’t. It makes you just that much better than them. You have done quite well learning what you did in Primary, I mean that you wrote in your letter. Don’t forget that Mom can teach you as much as your teachers, maybe about different things, but she’s had a lot of experience. Remember what the Blazer emblem stands for. You may not realized how much it helps now but you will when you get older. Always stand up straight line the pine tree. I have to.

Its your birthday on Nov. 21. Happy Birthday Wayne. I have put in a little present for you.

I’m glad you play football. Learn how to play real good and don’t even think that anyone can do anything better than you, because they can’t if you’ll remember what I’ve said and try hard. Don’t be afraid of getting hurt. You can’t get hurt in the things you do.

I got the box Mom sent 2 days ago. I was glad to get that picture. The guys here [said] that we had a dam good family, we have. They [said] that I was the father and Dad was the oldest child and you were mad at everyone. But you looked like the smartest one. Helen and Karen and me were next. Tell Mom I’ve got everything I need. I’ll write if I need anything. The lights in our barrack go out at 10:00. I had to go to a room where the boys play pool and write letters. I don’t play pool.

I guest I had better go to bed, because I’ve got to get up early in the morning.

Tell Karen and Helen that the boys [said] that they were cuter than Beverly. Tell them if they’ll write to me I’ll write them a letter. Tell the rest of them especially Mom and Dad that if they’ll write a letter as long as this one I’ll write them one, but not until they write. I really like to get letters from all of you.

You don’t have to read this to them or let them read it if you don’t want to. Its private. Mom hadn’t better open it before you get home. You may have to let Mom read it to you if you can’t read it.

Don’t forget what I’ve said and don’t forget to write to me some more. Give them all my love. Write soon—all of you.

Love, Allan

J A Keith