Betty and Ang were each "en route" during the middle of April 1944. Betty returned to Chicago by train. (She remarks it was a "nice trip." I know the train went through DC because she talked about it when she visited me here in Maryland. I believe the trip took all night and it may have been a "nice" trip, but I can't imagine it was "pleasant.") She has many people to catch up with in Chicago, and seems to spend every day visiting with people or shopping with her sister-in-law Jen. Much of this visiting takes place at the home of Betty's Great-Grandmother, "Gram" Harrington. Meanwhile, Ang and his crew fly to Africa, via South America. He’s frustrated about what he can tell her that won’t get cut by the censors, but does a pretty good job describing what he has seen so far. His flights are designated as “A” for Administrative on the Individual Flight Record. He talks about crossing the equator and the Amazon which makes me wish I'd asked him what it was like to cross the ocean by air, compared to crossing by ship with his father when they came to the U.S. from Greece in 1926. In his scrapbook, Ang makes note of his “Natal” boots on a photo of him in Africa. He also mentions them later in an October letter. Their crew was among the many that flew to Africa from the Natal airfield in Brazil. I’ve seen mention of these boots on many WWII sites. Most of the time, the person mentioning them says they wished they had purchased several pair. Too bad they didn’t have a way to have other crews buy more as they came through Natal! Imagine if they’d had the internet! I’m guessing the long 8 hour flight on the 17th must be the flight across the Atlantic.
April 16. To Mass and dinner at Grams. To Adams with K. & boys. Had snack and then to Baffes[?]. Nice evening - bed late.
April 17. Up early - did some laundry then to station for bags. To show in evening. Bed about 12:30. Tired. Form 5. A-17, Administrative flight as navigator, B25-J, 8:00h April 18. To Gram’s all day. Wrote Mom and Ang long letters. Then for dinner and home by 9:30. People here so bed late again. Form 5. A-18, Administrative flight as navigator, B25-J, 5:00h
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AuthorJoni Adams Sesma, daughter of Angelo and Elizabeth Adams. Ang served on Corsica with the 57th Bomb Wing, 340th Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Squadron. April 1944-April 1945. Archives
July 2017
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