To: My Grandson DJ (of whom I am very proud.) From: Grandpa Harry (Harry C. Roff Jr., Lt. Col. Air Force Reserve Retired) Date: Memorial Day 2011 I enlisted as an Aviation Cadet 1-15-1943 in Hartford, Conn. I was ordered to report to Maxwell Field, [Ala.] Eight weeks at Maxwell Field - four as underclassman, four as upperclassman. No planes, drilling, marching, parades, schoolwork, physical training. Then someone made a choice and I went to Bennettsville S.C. for flight training on PT-17’s, that was the first time I had ever flown. ...

To: Taffy From: Dad In the old days when I was a new parent play pens were standard. This is where a little kid went when dry and fed. A kid learned to roll over, then sit, then stand holding the bars of the play pen. Steve had achieved the standing, so we all waited to see him let go of the bars and stand unaided. Whenever Taffy came into the room she would rush over to her little brother if he was standing, stick her face into his and shout a greeting. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry It will be a big change from hospital to nursing home. You will have to adjust to everything new. When the Army Air Corp sent me to Alabama I was unprepared for the “Southerner”. Their prejudice to the blacks was the big thing. One of my 14 roommates lost a glove, we all looked, but failed. The next day I told him I had found his glove: The “Black” who swept the porch was wearing it. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry They can be a problem or can be used to your advantage. I was in better physical shape than most Aviation Cadets so climbing the ten foot obstacle was easy. Everyone was climbing down, I saw the sandpit at the bottom and jumped down. The sand was one inch deep, and I twisted my ankle. All underclassmen were forbidden to walk so while everyone else ran I walked with my doctor’s exemption. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry In the swirl of all your doctors and nurses if you begin to feel lost try this for a laugh. In basic flight training each of us was to do a solo triangular cross-country flight. I drew the flight plan on a map - the long base leg was along the edge of the map. I followed all the little rivers and town in South Carolina until nothing matched. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry I think you deserve a lot of credit for facing all your ills so bravely. When I was an Aviation Cadet I accepted an undeserved credit. We practiced instrument flying under a hood while the instructor sat in the rear. The instructor would put the plane in an unusual position and then tell us to recover normal flight. My instructor put the plane in a spin and then said I had the controls. I recognized the spin and then repeated to myself the recovery steps, “Pop the stick, kick the rudder.” or was it “Kick the rudder, then pop the stick.” I kept repeating the choices. The instructor called “You’ve got the controls.” I acknowledged and told him I recognized the spin. Logic failed me, but the odds were 50/50, so I picked one. Later the instructor told me he admired my monumental calm while spinning in to death, but he was never going to fly with me again. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry As you recover you may find you have some habits you have to break. You are too young to know but when I learned to drive cars did not have directional signals. Drivers signaled - but out of politeness. You stuck your hand out of the window and indicated your intention, you pointed if you were turning left. The Air Corp Taught us to fly a rectangular traffic pattern when landing. Nice sharp left and turns. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry The Army Air Corps gave us physical tests for six months after recruitment. The eye test for convergence consisted of placing a ruler between the eyes pointing straight ahead. Then moving a sliding ball on it slowly toward the head. I was to focus on the ball and follow it with both eyes until they eyes had to diverge. I couldn’t hold the convergence long enough. I was failing to meet the Air Corp requirement. ...

To: Barbara From: Harry This pad reminded me of the military style writing. Answers all the questions in the first four lines. You have got to walk and walk to get proficient but do it often and don’t overdue. When I was learning to fly I had trouble doing pylon eights. That is, at low level, flying a figure eight holding a wind superimposed on a tree then around the next part of the eight on another tree. I practiced and practiced until I felt I could now pass an inspection but when I stopped I was totally dizzy! ...