Question 74: Free Response

When I was drafted I understood every man had a chance at Officer's Training School. Our Squadron Commander says if a man hasn't 2 yrs of College he won't accept his application. I made 134 on my General Intelligence test & have 3 yrs. previous service, made a high grade on every test I've taken and have an 85% average in school. Yet they won't accept my application because I don't have 2 yrs. of college. I am a high school graduate & also a graduate of Araughon's Business College. Is this fair?

319th Tech Sch. Sqdr. (Sp.)

I am opposed to civilians working on the post because the Unions seem to control everything in that line. I think the Union Bosses are worse than Dictators and that there should be a stop put to Unions indirectly trying to run the government.

Reading in papers about movie actors, politicians & college men being sent direct to Officers Training School is anything but a morale builder for men qualified but not given the opportunity.

I am buying bonds and have been for some time. I have always felt proud of the fact; but I don't like to see my money and other folks money go to pay off a woman truck driver. It's the most uncalled for thing in the army. A soldier has to ride with her to load & unload the truck. Can't he drive the truck just as well? Can't we spend that money in a more useful way?

The chance that there will be no furlough after graduating lowers the moral of some of the soldiers. I, also, believe that if soldiers are shipped anywhere in the U. S. an effort should be made to send them as close to the sections that they come from as possible. That is Californians should not be sent to New York while at the same time New Yorkers are being shipped to California. This would not only raise morale but also make a saving and allow transportation facilities to be used for other purposes.

I am quite satisfied although I feel I would be of much more service to my country by "keeping 'em rolling" in some large airplane factory. No, not because of the pay but because I know that work and there would be no need for this delay in training.

I have only been in the army a little over two months. Therefore I am no authority on Army ways of doing things. But believe you me. The morale of the army could and would be boosted 100% if the Enlisted, or Buck private was treated more as a human who is trying to do his bit for his Country. Instead of having to live in fear of the so called 2 and 3 stripped General, better none [known] as Corporals & Sergeants. The quickest booster would be an improvement of food. At times you don't get enough to feed a canary and if you ask for more all you get is a - go - on.

P.S. I am speaking in General not of my squadron especially.

I think the men should be put at the job they are most suited for such as a bookkeeper or a man that has been a clerk or bank teller and has never done any mechanical work will require much more time to learn everything that has to do with mechanical work than one who has had jobs in civilian life that has given him this ability.

I know they have men in the infantry that have done mechanical work & have even worked on or around airplanes and they are not using this ability even a little bit where they have been put. If some of these men were exchanged for the men in the air corps who have no mechanical ability, I'm sure it would take less time to make an armorer or any of the other particular jobs pertaining to an airplane of them & it would surely speed up our war program and assure of us victory in a shorter time.

Keep em Flying.

I think the age for Pilots in the Air Force should be raised to at least 30 years instead of 26 yrs 10 mos, also not so strict on the requirement such as being short a couple of teeth etc. After all it is the stamina a man has and ability to fly that should count more than a tooth being out or some other small thing. I feel that there is a lot of good pilots that could be had between the ages of 26 to 30 or even 35 if the Army would only use them.

If men could get the jobs they are best qualified for as near as possible and get decent cooked food and all the fruit they want to eat the morale would be much higher and this camp would not be referred to as a concentration camp.

Personally, I believed that a man's wife should be given the money rightfully due her, and not make her go with out things she needs, until some bookkeeper, being paid a huge salary decides to get the books straightened out. If anything will ruin the moral of our army, the fact that our love ones are going without things we could easily provide, if we were allowed to work at our civilian job, that will.

I think the results to be gotten from an army depend entirely upon the leaders or commissioned officers. In other words, the army should be run like any business. The leader should work their way up, not buying themselves the big bin jobs. It doesn't help the morale of the enlisted man, like myself, to see actors, boxers etc. join the army and , immediately upon entering, become leaders or officers, a service in which they know nothing about. An example "Private" Clark Gable. To me this shows poor judgement n the part of the higher officers.

Enlisted men should be allowed to serve in Combat crews in bomber, if they have only small minor physical setbacks and are otherwise qualified.

More practical work in Aircraft Mechanic School. Produce a highly skilled and trained mechanic instead of trying to make half a mechanic and half a soldier at the same time. We need skilled mechanics in a hurry. Men who are capable and are trained to do one job well and in a hurry so we can "keep em' flying" to victory in the shortest possible time.

The Air Force is run by the biggest bunch of pin headed men I have ever seen in any organization in my life and if they were in civilian business the mistakes they make would have them in bankruptcy in less than a year.

Also read an article about the army getting all the steaks so that the civilians cannot buy them any more, have been in nearly four months and never seen one yet, guess the mess officers are taking them all home with them. Mess hall conditions are a very bad when they give the cooks retuity[/unclear[ pay to see how far they can (over)

Cut our service. Build up the morale of our Instructor - first I realize it is hard to feed an Army but let us eat well while we can a little better. Stop N.C.O. from cursing. Respect. Chaplain. Lets All get going full speed ahead. (Union) will win this war for us.

Thanks

I volunteered in the army with an idea of doing my best. They even sent me a letter telling me I was going to radio school. I planned on it for four weeks and then be put in aircraft armour. I lost all heart and don't care much about the army. It seems that I'm messed up on everything that happens. There is to much red tape in the whole outfit.

Let Roscoe Turner pick men to fly. - G. Washington didn't reject men because their eyes were not 20/20. - Also, tell the Socialists to give the army laundry back to private Industry so we can send laundry every week.

Uncle Sam is all right, but some times some of his helper arn't as good, for example he buys the best food but once in a while a cook spoils it. It is the same in these schools. We all learn though and will do our best.

All the soldiers and near soldiers (like myself) have a pet gripe. Why should these foolish wemon take good cloth from soldiers and money and parade around like a four star general. We don't like them. We have twice the respect for the girls in overall who work in the factorys, they are the girls we are fighting for, not the uniform crazy dress horses.

I fully object to having civilian instructors of any kind on the army post. Also wouldn't mind working with the Negro, but couldn't go to school or bunk with him.