From Chris now working for Pan Am Mrs. S. H. Smith Pittsboro, Mississisppi MIAMI, FLA 1 OCT. 31 3 - PM 1942 Friday P.m. October 31, 1942 Dearest Mother, I hope you'll take Uncle Foss' Suggestion of visiting around- seems to me that you'd enjoy it and there really isn't anything to keep you from going unless you just don't feel like it. How are you now? Well, this has been another strange and exciting week. I've been on the go continuously- this time with one Jack Duffield. He was another of P.A.A.s Junior airport managers who was here a week before going to Brazil. It happened that he had recieved a lot of back pay and was on a very generous expense account. As he couldn't take any of it with him to South America, he had to spend it- and he did wildly- with the exception of buying a number of defense bonds. A rheumatic heart has kept him out of the Army and Navy. I've never spent such a week- a chartered fishing boat one day, expensive dinners every night at the best places, all the shows, a rented convertible to ride. on with no gas- rationing. He also bought my lunch everyday and came for me at the end of the day. We really had a swell time. Of course I'll miss him. He's going to a place where there is a famine- no bread, sugar riot's and revolution so I suppose he wasn't amiss in having fun before he left. Although he's very young he's in the middle of writing a book on social problems. Frankly, I really think he's a genius. But the more exciting thing was yesterdy when the Prince of the Netherlands came in. I met the his plane and recieved a special smile from his highness. There was an honor guard with troops on parade. of course bands played- Navy, Army and Marines were there. many dutch soldiers to greet their countryman. It was stunning and very beautiful. The Prince himself, was tall, bright and young- the ideal realization of all the fairy-stories I'd read. He wore a uniform with gold- braid, etc. You can't imagine how still and serious everything was when the Dutch Homeland song was played- then the "Star Spangled Banner". And speaking of celebrities, Jack and I sat at the ajoining table to Jesel Folkenbury at the Clover Club the other night. She's appeared on Red Book Magazine Covers many times- Jack very much like her pictures. One of the Ritz brothers was also there. Today has been my day off. This afternoon two Liieutenants who are stationed temporarily - two blocks from us- came by with fishing tackle. We went out in the front yard and fished in the Bay. Had a lot of fun. Both of them are coming back for dinner tonight. Francine agreed to cook it. Among other outstanding virtues. She's an excellent cook. Her mother and father have a farm in Virgina just out of Washington D.C - so her background is really a lot like mine. Several people have sent me clippings of Joy's death. Everett was driving, and the paper said his hands were seriously injured. It would be awful if he could never operate again. I know he's abostutely stricken over the whole thing- he and Joy were so close and had been together from the time they were born. Had two letters from Phil this week. He still plans to get down here by the sixteenth of November. I'm not sure but have hopes of getting some time off while he's here. If I don't it will be a pretty bad situation. I have so little time off. I really cant see why Sonny Boy wanted to join the Caove cands that is usually the resort when a boy can't pass the physical to anything else. Why does he think he'd like this? Honestly, mother, at times I feel as if I'm spinning wildly on a wheel getting dizzier. Things are moving and happening so fast that nothing is surprising anymore Some day I'll have a lot of funny storys to tell. Wish I could be there to go to the game. Tell Charlyne to write me about her plans. I'd like hear something about what she expects to do. If you go to Uncle Foss's get my book that she (Charlyne) has. Its one of the book that Bob Levinson gave me and I'd hate very much to lose it. Tell Sonny Boy to try to remember getting it. We're still working hard. Being back on a day shift is a god send. I was practically shot. Hope you and Dad are both better. Take care of yourselves. Listen, I owe $30 on that note at the bank - I had hoped to get it paid but my dental bill will be at least $50 and I'd liike to get it cleared up as soon as possible. Can this note be renewed? Love, Chris [newsclipping enclosed] Royal Guest Sips Coffee in Miaimi Sipping a cup of coffee before his departure, Prince Bernhard husband of crown Princess Juliana of the Nether- lands, chats with Col. Charles G. Mettler, interview, officer of the Army Air Forces Technical Training command at the 36th st. airport Keep this Dutch Prince Halts Here After West indies Tour By JACK ANDERSON Herald Staff Writer Jaunty, smiling Prince Bernhard, husband of Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, stopped briefly in Miami Thursday afternoon after completing the first visit to the Dutch West Indies a member of the royal family has made in more than 135 years. The prince and his party, travel- ing in a small Dutch army plane, arrived at the 36th st. airport from Puerto Rico to be greeted by city army and navy officials and a Unit- ed Nations honorary guard consit- ing of American, Dutch and Yugo- slav units. Accompanying the prince were his aide-de-camp, Maj. Gen. H. J. Phaff, And W. Van Tets, private Sec- retary to Princess Juliana. The prince smilingly declined to comment to reporters on his trip, turning aside guestion's with the remark, "Sorry, but a talk with you gentlemen is not on my program." Van Tets said, however, that the trip was uneventhul and that Puer- to Rico, where they made a night's stopover, was the only American Caribbean base touched on the journey back. The trip was devot- ed to inspection of Dutch bases and garrisons. GREETED BY VETERANS Awaiting the prince in the lobby of the air terminal was a detach- ment of bronzed Royal Dutch ma- rines, many of them veterans of the battle of Java, who are staying briefly in Miami. Prince Bernhard was greeted by Col. Charles G. Mettler, army air corps interview officer; Admiral James L. Kauffman, Mayor C. H. Reeder, City Manager A. B. Curry, William C. Burdett of the state de- partment; Lt. Col. Zivojin Radoy- chich military attache of the Jugo- slav embassy in Washington, and T. M. Vanderstempel, acting Dutch consul here. After chatting briefly with the Dutch marines while a group of Yugoslav fliers looked on, Prince Bernhard stepped out to the land- ing field for a review of detach- ments of several hundred army combat soldiers and members of the officer candidate school at Miami Beach. He lunched with the greeting party in the terminal's dining room. In the afternoon he left for Jack- son, Miss., for an inspection of Dutch flying cadets in training there later he will join the prin- cess and their children in Canada.