December 6, 1943
Dear Dad,
I was very happy to receive your letter and the enclosure. Thank you very much.
What
with Christmas shopping to do I'm going to need all I can get.
I have very bad news. I washed out of air crew training on the psychological interview.
The psychiatrist decided that I was subject to too much nervous tension. This rejection
was
awfully disappointing to me. Apparently my other test were all right, although I'm
not certain
yet. I asked the flight surgeon, and he said that I could reapply for cadet training
after I have
proved myself in combat. Armoror's [sic] school takes nine weeks, aerial gunnery six weeks, so
if things move along I can see action inside of a year. The sooner the better.
Meanwhile, training proceeds as usual. Everyday some of the boys report to sign
questionnaires and get their folders, and then they are happy because they are eligible
for
shipment to college. About fifteen of the original hundred of our group have washed
already.
Undoubtedly more will, since those that washed are deficient medically, and we had
many stiff
mental aptitude test that will show up faults.
The psychomotor test was extremely interesting and a great deal of fun. All information
concerning it is supposedly confidential, but I think you ought to hear about it.
The first test was a board with rows of square holes in it and square pegs with round
heads.
They are turned 180 as rapidly as possible.
The next test was a wheel with a spot in it. The wheel revolved, as we held a pencil
to
the spot and pressed one of two buttons with the other hand as two lights flashed.
The third was a little machine with a wheel that contained a button
that moved in a slot. A contact, operated by the handles shown, moved around
over the wheel.
The next was a board with lights. As combinations of lights flashed on, we pushed
one of four switches.
The fifth was a machine with rudder bar and joy sticks and a board with
pairs of lights. A combination of green lights would flash on, and we matched the
red one up with the controls.
The last test was a small plane held in place by springs which were attached
to a rudder bar. Our problem was to keep the plane balanced on a target.
This psychomotor was like a penny arcade, and we enjoyed ourselves doing it. Give
my
love to mom and the kids
Love,
Linus
P.S. I'm sending you the last two editions of the post paper.
