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WAVES NATIONAL

October 15, 1986

Deborah G. Douglas
Aeronautics Department
National Air & Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D. C. 20560

Dear Deborah,

Sorry for taking so long in answering your letter regarding my Navy air duty during the Korean conflict.

I'm enclosing a story ( still searching for the other) and some copies of photographs.  If you need the original pictures, since I do not have negatives, I would like them back.  I am sending you copies of the new-paper clippings - if you need the originals, I would like those back also.

I'm enclosing an original booklet that we handed out to out passengers on board our early flights.  You can keep the booklet.  My Mom had saved some of my letters - which I also would like back after you have taken what material you care to.

I have lots of pictures of my travels and made scrap books of all of my flights.  I also kept a flight log and all my original flight orders.  I just don't know how much of this stuff you want?  I would want my flight log, scrap books, and pictures back.

If you feel you would want more of the above please let me know.

I was in the Navy for seven years.  The first two years I spent at Great Lakes as a court reporter for court marshalls.  We took the court proceedings by mouth - steno-mask.  You would repeat everything that was said in the court room into the steno-mask and later would type up the proceedings on legal paper without an error.  Many times a train would come through and take away half of your trial - then it was ad-lib time!

My second two years of USN I spent flying with VR-3 out of Moffett Field. I had no rate, since there were no aviation rates for women, nor were we allowed to wear wings, so I remained a Seaman for almost four years.  I took the test for YN or PN everyyear but they had very high standards to live up to and very few rates to be given out.  Finally when I was almost ready to get out and had quite flying - the final flight we almost ditched, I made PN3.  I joined the reserves and flew as a PN3 in charge of records for VR-874 Oakland Naval Air Station ( it is now a civilian airport) and we were moved to NAS Alameda toward the end of my Navy enlistment.  I married a LCDR who made Captain - he was a transport pilot, who was in charge of the Western Air front for several years.  We were married for 22 years then he retired me......