Air Cadet Training

"On December 9, 1943 I reported for active duty to Fort George Meade, Maryland. At Ft. Meade I was subjected to the usual new recruit routine - hair cut, uniforms and the like. I was impressed with how much time they spent measuring and fitting shoes. Everything else was more or less thrown at you. They did not care how you looked but they wanted to keep you on your feet.

Tom in Miami

The Tides, Miami - Jan, 1944.
The AAF had commandeered the Tides resort hotel for use as barracks during basic training.

Tom with friend, George

Matchbook cover from Miami

"I passed the Air Cadet test and was sent to a classification center in Miami Beach, Florida. After this evaluation, on a scale of 10, I was rated 9 for pilot, 7 for bombardier and 5 for navigator and was sent to a College Training Detachment (CTD) at Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee for training in navigation, weather and other things.

Tom with wife, Barbara, at Peabldy. He looks like he's ready to whip the Nazis single-handed.Go get 'em, tiger!

"About 3 weeks before graduation day the Army decided that they had enough pilots, closed the school, and shipped me to a gunnery school at Laredo, Texas.

Gunnery school trainer.

"When I completed gunnery school I was sent to Lincoln, Nebraska. This is where the aircrews were put together from students arriving from various training assignments around the country. The crews were assembled from ten separate groups of pilots, copilots, navigators, bombardiers, engineers, radio operators and four groups of gunners in a large hanger building. A name was called from each of the ten groups. That person went to the center of the building where he met the others who would be the crew that he would be living with and flying with for the remainder of his tour. My crew was sent to an Overseas Training Unit at Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo is where our crew flew together and trained together in a B-24 Liberator Bomber, trying to simulate some of the experiences that we may encounter when deployed." - Tom

Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado - October 20, 1944
Back Row:
Lt. Frank Lee Jr.- Navigater, Lt. Dominic Traetta - Pilot, Lt. Feidler - Co-Pilot Lt. Sislow, Bombardier
Middle Row:
Cpl. James "Red" Springer - Radioman/Waist Gunner, Cpl. Ros Vincent - Ball Turret Gunner, Cpl.Charles Laynor - Tail Gunner, Front Row:
Sgt. Zenas Plymale Jr.- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, Cpl.Thomas D. Moran Jr.- Nose Gunner, Cpl. Maurice Bell, Waist Gunner

Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado - October 20, 1944
B24J 5FO No. 42-51441 Crew 134
BACK ROW:
Lt. Sislow - Bombardier, Lt. Dominic Traetta - Pilot, Lt. William Frank Lee Jr. - Navigator, Lt. William C. Feidler - Co-Pilot
FRONT ROW:
Sgt. Zenas E. Plymore, Jr. - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, Cpl. James B. "Red" Springer - Radioman/Waist Gunner, Cpl. Thomas D. Moran Jr. - Nose Gunner, Cpl. Ross Vincent - Ball Turret Gunner, Cpl. Charles V. Laynor - Tail Gunner, Cpl.Maurice R. Bell - Waist Gunner

Matchbook covers from Pueblo. The one at right was a favorite hangout of the air crews.