My Grandfather, Lewis Wells, was a Bomber Pilot in World War II, flying B-17's with the 8th Air Force, 95th Bomb Group, 334th Bomb Squadron out of Horham, England. Before flying his 35 missions, he was in training for 15 months at various schools and Army Air Force bases. (Santa Ana - Twentynine Palms - Lancaster - Marfa - Sioux City - Lincoln) This 'yearbook' was a momento of his time spent in Primary Training at Twentynine Palms, California, where he learned to pilot his first aircraft, the PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. When interviewing him about his experiences he stated that he learned after the war that only 5% of those he was with in Primary went on to complete a full tour of duty unscathed (Due to washouts and deaths in training or being captured, injured or killed in combat). My grandfather's wife, Helen who had become friends with two of the pilots on this page, Arthur Vincent and Layton Vermie, later heard about their fate in a letter from Arthur's sister, Clara. Though long, I can't help feeling the loss every time I read it and it brings home the reality of the war: December 15, 1944 – Clara Vincent (Dodge City, Kansas) to Helen (Pleasant Grove) Dear Mrs. Wells: We were all so happy to hear from you again, we have spoken many times of your friendliness and hospitality while we were in your apartment, and we had wondered where you were stationed. So many things have happened since that happy time we spent with you. Yes, Laurel Grace went with Art (Vince to you) he bought a ‘41 Mercury Coach and they loaded up bags, baggage and BABY and left for Salt Lake City at the end of his furlough, then they were sent to Colorado Springs and arrived there Xmas Day. They rented a Cabin at the Rodeo Courts and Art drove back and forth to Peterson Field which was not far. He drew B-24 for his ship. We visited them the first week in March and all of us were together again and we did a bit of sight seeing around Manitou and Colorado Springs, it was delightful weather while we were there so had a nice time. We met all of the crew and liked them immensely. Laurel Grace and Duffy had a swell time and gave little dinners for the boys and took them on sight seeing trips and when their wives and mothers came to visit, she took them shopping when the boys were busy so the boys just spoiled them both. Duffy thought that crew was just to amuse him and they greatly improved L.G.’s dancing as they would all go and give her a whirl, she laughs about 3 of the officers going with her to choose a formal for one of the important dances and how each had definite ideas of what she should have - but she compromised on white formal and red roses. Then the last week they were sent to the staging area at Topeka Field-that is where my husband’s folks all live or very near so L.G., Tom, Virginia and I left as soon as Art called and we stayed until they left for overseas, had a week and after the boys were restricted to camp we could stay out with them until midnight. We grew so very fond of all the crew as we were the only folks any of them had as the married boys had sent their wives home, so they treated us royally, the Pilot (he had patrolled the gulf for 10 months for submarines and had the most hours of any of the pilots) was really a swell fellow, a bit older than the others and he was a Southern Gentleman in every sense of the word, had a soft voice, commanded respect, handsome and wonderful manners, he was doing more to rub the Western Kansas off of Art and making an officer and a gentleman of him as well as a flying officer than the Cadet schools had done, but the Bombardier was the one who was a pal-his Dad was a Major in the Marines and nearly disowned Tommy Yandoh when he joined up with the Army Air force, he had served in the African invasion as a gunner and then back to the States to the Bombardier School, he was from New York State. We took him with us to Kansas City and to all the relatives for feeds, we liked him so much. They left Topeka for overseas April 8, first stop was Miami, then Trinidad then different places in South America where Art met a school friend from Bucklin Kansas at Berlin, Brazil, then to Ascension Island, and to a couple of places in Africa and then to England. The first night he was in England he met Layton Vermie in an Officer’s Club-such a reunion, – poor Yondoh wrote us that night with a definitely lost tone then Art’s crew went to Ireland for their last training phase (He sent me a beautiful Irish linen table cloth, it has a laundry mark but will be an heirloom for generations – large for family dinners). Art never saw Vermie again for Vermie was reported missing May 19 and I don’t think Art ever learned about that for he wrote once that he could not find Vemie after he returned to England but would try again and then Art was reported missing June 23 and then Sept. 25 we had word from the War Dept that report thru the German Government and International Red Cross that he died

The chairs we moved in after the ceremony (only rented one chair per guest). The tablecloths are Irish linen with a muslin edge which we sewed to length in order to make the tables feel continuous. Yes, it's a mix of fresh and silk flowers. I didn't know how to handle the tent, I wanted it to be cheerful and I didn't want to rent all that expensive draping. By the time the food was on the table no one was looking at the tent anyway. It was in the front yard while everything else all night was in the back yard, so it really was just for eating, I almost regret buying flowers for the tables (almost).