These were the fellow cadets and friends of my barracks at the Aviation Cadet College Training Detachment. From left to right, here are our names and (the states we were from):

FRONT ROW: George Fish (IL) - Gary Garrington (IA) - Earl Hines (CA) - Donald Kay (WA) - Marion Bartsch (CA) - Jesus Martinez (TX) - Robert Morton (KS) - John Christian (TX) - Edward Amor (NM)

SECOND ROW: Calvin Beeghly (NV) - Robert McCann (MS) - Charles Edwards (IL) - Franklin Memnu (OH) - Edward Kavanagh (NY) - Willard Maxton (MO) - Sam Arrington (NC) - James Lockett (WA)

THIRD ROW: Dewey Jackson (KY) - Joseph Cihon (IL) - Leonard Baljay (NY) - Edger Faris (GA) - James McGee (KS) - Frank Davis (TX) - Walt Andrzejezyk (CT) - Roland Delpech (HI) - Albert Kennedy (NM)

FOURTH ROW: Irwin Arms (MO) - Thomas Alderson (WI) - John Moroz (NJ) - Eugene Domonico (IA) - Hugo Martin (OK) - Jerry Cloyd (NE) - Harold Estep (KS)

Irwin Arms and Tom Alderson were officially called "Aviation Students", instead of Aviation Cadets. This was to preserve their higher pay status, because they were non-commissioned officers when they entered the Aviation Cadet program. But as far as the Aviation Cadet program was concerned, they were just like the rest of us. They were quality people and well-liked by us all. Most of us had been drafted and had some prior service before entering the Aviation Cadets. We had the option of becoming Aviation Students to retain our pay status, or to accept the lower pay to become Aviation Cadets.

Here was another thing that was so unusual about the Aviation Cadet College Training Detachment. Normally, when Aviation Cadets were selected to become Army Air Corps pilots, they didn't get any actual flight instruction until the "Primary" stage; after they had been through "Classification" and "Pre-Flight". Yet, we all received ten hours of flight instruction here, even though some of us (after the "Classification" stage) would enter Bombadier or Navigator training instead. Yes, this Aviation Cadet Detachment assignment was very unusual. But nice. I'm glad we all got those ten hours "at the stick" along with the college courses.

The airplanes you see behind us were called "Porterfields". And the names of the "motley looking crew" in front of them are the same as you saw with the previous picture. But here are their names as you see them at the air field:

STANDING (L TO R): Gary Garrington (IA) - Albert Kennedy (NM) - Earl Hines (CA) - Thomas Alderson (WI) - Joseph Cihon (IL) - John Christian (TX) - Marion Bartsch (CA) - Charles Edwards (IL) - Donald Kay (WA) - Edward Kavanagh (NY) - Edger Faris (GA) - Walt Andrzejezyk (CT) - Frank Davis (TX) - Dewey Jackson (KY)

FRONT ROW (L TO R): Calvin Beeghly (NV) - Irwin arms (MO) - James McGee (KS) - Roland Delpech (HI) - Eddie Amor (NM) - Jesus Martinez (TX) - Eugene Domonico (IA) - Harold Estep (KS) - George Fish (IL) - Hugo Martin (OK)

The flight training was very simplistic, but it did get us started. We learned how to safely hand-turn the propeller to start the engine for the ones at the throttle in the Porterfield, how to takeoff and land, how to set an airplane/horizon reference point for straight and level flying, how to climb and descend, how to make turns, how to read the basic cockpit instruments (altimeter, compass, and airspeed), how to recognize and recover from a stall, and contour flying in reference to the ground elevations.

Simple though it may have been, it was a deep-life landmark for most of us, who since childhood had built model airplanes and daydreamed of the day when we would look at the good earth from above and maneuver among the clouds. So now that it had happened, we were eager to move up the next rung of that wonderful ladder of flying.

At Oklahoma A & M College our classes and studies were varied and accelerated. Some were throretical and academic: such as physics, mathematics, engineering, meterology, and geography. Skill related instruction was also received for miscellaneous practical things such as how to use microphones, enunciation, calculating with sliderules, etc.

As an incentive for us to study well, an additional "open-post" on Wednesday evenings was given to those whose weekly grade averages were maintained above a particular achievement level.

The Army Air Corps wasn't the only service to send its personnel to Oklahoma A&M College in Stillwater. So did Navy. The young lady you see here was a Navy WAVE. I think that "WAVE" meant "Women's Auxillary Volunteer .... something". She is Patricia Ann Moulton from Great Falls, Montana. She was in some advanced Yeoman courses there. A "yeoman" was a US Navy petty officer assigned to administrative duties. (But, to me, she was a radiance of joy and happiness.)

I met Pat at a roller skating rink one Wednesday evening. Navy gave "open-post" on Wednesday evenings to its students whose grades were above a certain high level for the week. The Aviation Cadet Detachment had the same policy. I told Pat that I was 23 years old because I was afraid she wouldn't want to go with me anymore if she knew I was only 19. She was a beautiful, lovely, and gentle young lady. I fell in love with her. We made it a goal to enjoy every Wednesday evening open-post together. And on Saturday evenings we went to the dance that the American Legion members held for all of us in the services there. On Sundays there were various activities and recreational places around town that we enjoyed. It was wartime, and all too soon we were sent our separate ways.