War Can Be Fun If You Don't Get Killed
or
Nil Carborundum Illegitimi
The summer of 1942 I went to Ft. Sheridan, which was a few miles north of Glencoe, with George Gear. We were looking for jobs in their motor pool, something to while away the time until war. The Major in charge said, "No jobs". George, having no lack of audacity, mentioned that his father was General Gear. This motor pool worked for this General. We were hired on the spot.
We mostly moved vehicles in and out of a large storage area and did some repair work. They had some neat Command cars like the German's used and a 4 wheel-turn Jeep made by Bantam motors. This Jeep could turn inside of it's self. If you didn't know what to expect it could be exciting. A somewhat over-bearing Lieutenant came by one day and asked for a Jeep to show some visitors around the Fort. We gave him the Bantam. He shortly did a figure 8 on the beach and ended up in Lake Michigan.
Model 60 Jeep made by Bantam Motors
At Fort Sheridan I ran into one Murry Sheridan who was working at the motor pool and whiling away time until going to war. He lived in Highland Park. He had a Model A Ford with no semblance of an exhaust system. Speak of noise! When he came to visit me in Glencoe an old man down the street would run out into the middle of Franklin Rd. and shake his fist. I had always thought the old dude was deaf.
Preflight was a lot of running around with contact football, basketball, track and long marches. Classes were aircraft recognition, Morse code and other subjects. I never used code nor knew anyone who did. My sister, Arminda, came to visit me one weekend.
Navy cadet uniforms were issued at Iowa City. They included a navy blue wool dress uniform that was cut the same as an officers, cotton khaki shirts and pants, black dress and brown high top shoes. I think this was where I acquired the white dress uniforms, but don't remember using them except to have a photo taken. There was also a rather good wool navy blue top coat with liner that was for some reason or other called a "raincoat". I used it for a long time after I was out of the Navy as I did the khaki. I still have the white uniforms, but they are rather yellow now.
It was hot in Iowa City. After all the exercise, we were very thirsty. When I returned to the dormitory, I would head for the coke machines fast with 2 nickels and get two 6 oz. cokes in the classic green glass bottles and down them immediately. They were so cold that ice crystals formed when you opened them. You had to get to the machine fast or they would all be gone. Then I would stand under a cold shower with my mouth open to get more fluid. After this it was usually a hearty meal. Steaks, potatoes and lots of gravy.
Went by train to NAS Hutchison, KS for primary flight training arriving July 27, 1943. Used Stearman (N2S) commonly called Yellow Perils. They were metal frame fabric covered biplanes with two open cockpits and were painted all yellow. Had 106 hours. My instructor was Ensign Demmig. My mother stopped by one weekend. Departed Hutchinson Oct 17, 1943.
Stearman N2S Kaydet aka "Yellow Perils"
Communication from the front cockpit where the instructor was to the student in the aft location was by a device called a "gasport", which was nothing more than a hose with a funnel in one end for the instructor to shout at and ear connections on the students helmet. It was a one way device.
Hutchison had a large concrete area like a very large parking lot at a shopping center. You taxied out to an open area and went. Opposite when landing. There were likely a number of Yellow Perils taking off or landing at the same time. This maxed them in and out.
While flying a Stearman, I put my arm out of the open cockpit and my watch flew off of my wrist and into some cornfield. I wonder if anyone found it. Oh, well, it was a Navy issue. Another time while flying with an instructor the engine began to miss and lose power. We dropped into an auxiliary grass field and found a number of spark plugs hanging by their ignition wires. There was a sailor stationed at the field. He happened to have a wrench. The plugs went back in and away we went.
I flew 4 hours at night at Hutchison. The runway lighting was flare pots (a pot with a large wick fueled with kerosene). There was no other lighting. No landing lights on the Stearman. Just three running lights. Red on the port wing tip, green on the starboard wing tip and white on the tail. Same as all aircraft. There were no flood lights on the field. Just the pots. As you descended the pots would appear to get closer. That's how you knew how high you were. The same works with electric runway lights.
The only cadet I can recall from Hutchison is Goose Goslin. I guess anyone with the surname of "Goslin" is automatically called "Goose". Anyway he was from Nebraska. A very flat part. Kansas was too hilly for his taste. I couldn't see any hills. We used to drink beer at the ship's service in the evenings. I never saw him again.
At Hutchison we were issued four sheets. It was hot in the summer in the center of Kansas. You did not want any cover when you slept. Since laundry was up to the Cadet, and we were in Hutchison about 80 days, and each sheet had two sides, that meant 10 days on a side and no laundry bill.
Arrived at NATC Corpus Christi by train on Oct 19, 1943. Assigned to Squadron VN12D8-C at NAAS Cabaniss Field where I flew low wing Valtee Monoplanes (SNV). They were all metal except the wings which were covered with plywood. They had fixed landing gear and flaps that were cranked down by hand. They were referred to as Vibrators. Flew 36 hours at Cabaniss field. Two of these were at night. NAS is "Naval Air Station". NAAS is "Naval Auxiliary Air Station". NATC is "Naval Air Training Center".
SNV February 1943
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