Chris


MIAMI, FLA. 1
JUL 14
1230PM 
 1942
Mrs. S.H. Smith
Pittsboro, Miss.


Sunday Night
Dear Mother,
I'm sorry not to have written sooner
but I just seem to take a long time
to get around to anything, anymore. I
enjoyed both your and Martha's letters. 
I'm so far from home that your letters
mean more than anything I know.
Listen, I finished classes and went
out to Dinner Key to start work. My uniform
looks very nice. Had to pay $10.98 for
a pair of Navy blue florsheim uniform
oxfords. As you can imagine, wearing
a coat in this weather is pretty awful,
and when we're on the street or on busses,
we have to be in full dress, however,
inside the airport we can take our
coats off. The suits are made of silk
gabardine.
Sometime next week I have to
take my Federal Communications
Commission Radio Exam. to get a
license. That will give me authority
to send and recieve messages
to [unclear] from the planes from
the flight watch room at the  


airport. As yet, I've been filing,
making reports, etc. Later on I'll
be given a chance to work in 
the meteorology and radio rooms.
It's very exciting at the airport. At 
the present time, there are about
150 RAF boys studying navigation
Their English accents are something
to write home about.
I'll send you a picture at my
first opportunity. Next week my
hours are from 10 to 6:30. We
work in shifts, getting one day
off a week- which means that 
Sunday is a work day too. There
will be time when I'll be going
to work at 12 o'clock at night
and getting off at 8 the next
morning. We are likely to have
any hours and any day
off. I go to work by bus -
it's about 5 miles. Ada did 
carry me in her car but she's 


working at another place now
and we don't go in the same
directions.
She and I spent the
afternoon on the beach. I
burnt blistered.
Ada got a letter from her 
Dad in Kentucky, saying that 
some of the folks had been picking
blackberries and that they
had quite a few canned - then
I told her about Miss Luella
used the stick.
I talked to Mr. Whalton
about Martha and he 
said there was every possibility
of her getting on somewhere
in one of the departments. She 
needn't feel that she has 
to rush though is people
all being hired all along. 
I'm glad Bernice likes
Tupelo. Hope she gets to stay
(Over)


there.
I've been eating here. We 
find that it is cheaper to 
cook than to eat out. I 
don't do much cooking but
wash dishes, etc. Ada is a
good cook. Tonight two army
boys had supper with us. We
had roast, butter beans, tomato
salad and peas- also ice-
cream. 
If I'm still down here. 
and it the trains are still
runnning, I'm going to send.
you a round-trip ticket for 
Christmas. You could come down
during the season and
really enjoy the warm climate.
what do you think about this?
I'll try to write again in  
a day or two.
Love,
Chris