Advanced Training at Freeman Air Field in Seymour, Indiana

(Continuation of Captain Estes's Memoirs)

"I was sent to Indiana, Freeman Field, Seymour,
Indiana for my advanced training, and it was in
twin engines. It was an AT-10 advanced trainer.
It was built out of plywood, and it was a good
flying plane, and it was a good plane to learn in.
I had a good instructor and I was taught all
the things I should know to fly an advanced
trainer. And it was there that I graduated and
got my wings and my second lieutenant bars.
I graduated in the class of 44C; in other words,
that was 1944 and the month was March."


(To be continued.)

Letter Home from Seymour, Indiana - Advanced Training

The AT-10 was a small twin engined
aircraft that was used in training
student pilots in the multi-engined
retractable landing gear. The aircraft
was built primarily of plywood.

The second photo is a picture of AT-10s
over Freeman Field in the 1940s.

In preparation for this posting, I researched any
information regarding Freeman Army Air Field
in Seymour, IN. I discovered in my search
the Freeman Army Air Field Museum and
discovered Papa's graduating class. The next
morning I called the museum and a wonderful
couple, Pat and Larry Bothe, who manage the
museum, went to the museum and scanned
the program and then sent it to me via email.
I am so thrilled to have this piece of history
of my dad's. Our family will cherish it for years
to come. Thank you so much Pat and Larry.
Here is the website to the museum for those
who are interested: http://www.indianamilitary.org/


Captain Charles H. Estes's graduation program
from Freeman Army Air Field Museum
Class 44C. Papa's name appears on the
seventh page down, Flight No. 4. He is
listed as a Flight Corporal.

Letter Home from Basic Training in Courtland, Alabama

Basic Training - Courtland, Alabama

(Continuation of Captain Charles Estes's Memoirs)

"After I had finished my primary training
and graduated from primary training, I was
sent to basic training and that was in
Courtland, Alabama; it wasn't 50 miles away.

And there I was introduced to a low wing
airplane; it was -- there was two types of
PT-13 -- a BT-13 -- excuse me-- basic trainer
and a BT-15. Now this plane had flaps on it and it was a terribly noisy plane, but soon I was able to solo in it and go on cross-countries and do things that I was required to do in basic training.


Well, each one of these places that I went like for primary training and for basic training I would imagine that I got about
30 hours, so I had about 60 hours of
flying time now. "

(To be Continued.)

Sixty-Five Years ago Today

It's hard to imagine, but 65 years ago, March 15th, 1945,
my father and the crew of their B-24 Bomber were shot
down over Yugoslavia after a successful bomb run on
the Schwechat Oil Refinery near Vienna, Austria;
a mission which will be written about in much greater
detail during the course of this blog.

It is a story my father retold many, many times, and
we as family members never grew tired of hearing.

Sadly, all of the members of his crew have passed
away, and with them their stories of this event as
well as a piece of our history.

So how do we continue to honor them and their
sacrifice? Perhaps Ronald Reagan said it best in
a speech he gave on the 4oth anniversary of D-Day:

"Let us make a vow to our dead. Let us
show them by our actions that we understand
what they died for. Let our actions say to
them the words for which General Matthew
Ridgeway listened: 'I will not fail thee nor
forsake thee.'

Strengthened by their courage, heartened
by their valor, and borne by their memory,
let us continue to stand for the ideals for
which they lived and died."

Ronald Reagan - June 6, 1984

God Bless.....Liz Bacher