--- audio_path: --- # Letter — 26 Apr 1943, to Anna **Sender**: Pvt. Arthur M. Yena — 2nd Student Sqdn., A.A.F. F.G.S., Kingman, Arizona **Recipient**: Miss Anna L. Yena, Quaker Lane, West Warwick, Rhode Island **Date written**: 26 April 1943 **Postmark**: KINGMAN, ARIZ. APR 27 5:30 PM 1943 **Stationery**: "Army Air Forces Flexible Gunnery School — Kingman, Arizona" letterhead **Type**: Handwritten **Scan location**: `scans/processed/1943-04-26_to-anna/` *(scan-mapping pending)* **Transcription source**: Gemini/ChatGPT vision pass 2026-06-06, 2-pass QC 2026-06-07 **Confidence**: clean (~95%) **Note**: ⭐ **The Kingman wash-out letter** — first hard confirmation, in Pops's own hand, that he failed Flexible Gunnery School "on account of my eyes" and is about to be moved on. This sits squarely inside the old 2.5-month corpus gap (5 Mar Miami → 17 May Salt Lake) and supplies the *cause* of the move to Salt Lake. Envelope photographed; postmark Kingman Apr 27. --- ## Transcript > ARMY AIR FORCES FLEXIBLE GUNNERY SCHOOL > KINGMAN, ARIZONA > April 26, 1943 > > Dear Anna, > > I got your letter O.K. and all the others, but am wondering if you are getting mine all right. I answered your letters and the last one especially about a week ago. > > I got a letter yesterday from Karl and he told me you and John and Pop came up with Walter Becker. I was certainly surprized, because the last time I heard was when he was at either North or South Carolina. > > I got 'Ma's' package all right and everything was O.K. in it except the Polish sausage which was green and didn't smell so good. I got your's and Ma's and Kathleen's very nice Easter cards. As you said in your card it isn't what you want now days but what you get. That is why I couldn't send one to you for the simple reason I couldn't get one. I got your camera with the two films all right. Say that camera is a dandy and certainly must have cost you plenty. Thanks a lot dearie. > > I don't think Ma will have to worry about that gunnery any more since I didn't make it on account of my eyes. So now you can tell Ma that I was going to be an Aerial Gunner but didn't make it on account of my eyes and that I probably won't get into anything else that requires flying. So tell her not to worry about that anymore. > > I guess this losing weight in the Army is pretty mutual in the Army of course. Happy was pretty heavy before he went in. I lost a little too although I never even noticed it. > > As for me getting married to one of these squaws don't worry I can't even leave the area of the squadron never mind the camp. These darned Post Ex. guys don't sell anything including soap, matches, and etc. > > You asked about Connie and well we do all right. Still write by all means. As a matter of fact the X's at the end of the letters have increased from the original 3 to 17. So there! Besides she has made it know that Ted and I are missed more by her than anyone she writes to. She has expressed the wish that I come home soon and see her sometime. How do you like that eh sister? What has Gable got what I haven't eh? So now there remains only one obsticle in the way — Ted. I got a couple of letters from him though and he's quite a nice fellow. Nevertheless as you say 'All's fair in love and war.' I'll keep you posted as new developements occur. > > Well I guess I'll be moving on now again since I'm eliminated from Gunnery. I'll be able to tell you more about that later on though. > > You probably know but in case you don't Walter H. is scheduled for induction tomorrow which is the 27. Somehow or another he thinks he may be rejected. Perhaps! > > The reason why you probably haven't heard from Al in so long is that he works such long hours from 7 A M to 6 P M at Brown and Sharpes. He told me that Quonset called him back and told him that if he didn't come back to his old job he would have to get another war job. > > I was just thinking that something either must have happened or else delayed the last batch of letters I wrote home because Karl claims I haven't written in a week either. Let me know if you ever get that letter. > > At last I got those 4 pictures I had taken of me in Miami. I'm sending them down in this letter. I took 1 1/2 rolls with the camera allready so when I get back to civilization I'll have them developed and send em down, too. > > Well I think that covers the latest news except maybe I saw Bob Hope, Frances Langford, Jerry Colonna, and Virginia Bruce at the camp when he broadcasted from here last week. You might have heard him. > > Well give my love to everybody at home and although this might not be the nicest Easter Card I still wish everybody a Happy Easter and maybe by the time the next one comes I might be home. > > Take it easy and love > Arthur --- ## Major content / narrative significance - ⭐⭐ **THE GUNNERY WASH-OUT, IN POPS'S OWN HAND.** *"I don't think Ma will have to worry about that gunnery any more since I didn't make it on account of my eyes... I was going to be an Aerial Gunner but didn't make it on account of my eyes and that I probably won't get into anything else that requires flying. So tell her not to worry about that anymore."* This is the **primary-source confirmation of the Kingman wash-out** that the corpus previously knew only by inference (the May 17 Salt Lake letter referenced it retroactively). The 20/30-eyesight elimination — the single hinge that diverts Pops off the flying track and, eventually, onto the **cryptographer** path — is documented here as it happened, dated Apr 26 1943. - ⭐⭐ **GAP-FILL ANCHOR.** This letter lands inside the old 2.5-month blank (5 Mar Miami → 17 May Salt Lake). It supplies the *mechanism* of the move: *"Well I guess I'll be moving on now again since I'm eliminated from Gunnery."* Pops is at Kingman, washed out, and visibly between assignments — the bridge between Miami Basic and the Salt Lake clerical/Intelligence posting. The whole batch's headline (the gap) is concretely advanced here. - ⭐ **A MOTHER MANAGED THROUGH HIS SISTER.** Note the routing: Pops doesn't tell Ma directly; he tells Anna to *"tell Ma not to worry."* Consistent with the corpus pattern of Anna as family scribe/intermediary and Pops shielding Ma from the flying-danger anxiety. He frames the wash-out itself as *reassurance* — failing gunnery means he *won't* be in harm's way in the air. The disappointment is sublimated into comfort for his mother. - ⭐ **BOB HOPE BROADCAST FROM KINGMAN CAMP.** *"I saw Bob Hope, Frances Langford, Jerry Colonna, and Virginia Bruce at the camp when he broadcasted from here last week."* A datable, verifiable USO/radio event — the *Pepsodent Show* troupe (Hope + Langford + Colonna were the core road-show cast) broadcasting from Kingman AAF Flexible Gunnery School ca. mid-to-late April 1943, with film actress Virginia Bruce as guest. **Strong archival hook** (the Hope radio logs and Kingman base history are both researchable) and a vivid set-piece for the Kingman chapter. - ⭐ **AL AT BROWN & SHARPE — THE HOMEFRONT WAR-JOB ARC.** *"Al... works such long hours from 7 A M to 6 P M at Brown and Sharpes. He told me that Quonset called him back and told him that if he didn't come back to his old job he would have to get another war job."* This resolves the earlier Al thread (Feb–Mar: feeling better → at Pop's mill → "drafted March 10"). By late April he is working 11-hour days at **Brown & Sharpe** (the Providence precision-instrument/machine-tool giant, a major defense contractor) and being pulled between Quonset (Naval Air Station) and B&S under wartime manpower rules. Reinforces the memory note that Anna's own wartime job was likely Brown & Sharpe ("Naval Air Corps in a way"). - ⭐ **THE CONNIE/TED LOVE TRIANGLE, ESCALATING.** Pops keeps a running tally of affection: *"the X's at the end of the letters have increased from the original 3 to 17."* Connie says she misses Ted and Arthur more than anyone; *"What has Gable got what I haven't eh? So now there remains only one obsticle in the way — Ted."* Confirms **Connie corresponds well before the McCook girlfriend memory** and that **Ted** is a live rival. Playful, competitive, movie-star-framed (Clark Gable) — good color for the personality portrait. - ⭐ **THE 4 MIAMI PORTRAITS WERE MAILED IN THIS ENVELOPE.** *"At last I got those 4 pictures I had taken of me in Miami. I'm sending them down in this letter."* This is the **provenance** for the four Miami Beach studio portraits — they traveled home inside this Apr 26 Kingman letter. Directly relevant to the attic-recovery soft-watch: the Miami portraits are a named missing artifact, and this letter pins down exactly when/how they were sent home. Plus Pops has shot 1½ rolls on Anna's new camera, to be developed "when I get back to civilization." - **Walter Becker visit + Walter H. induction.** Two distinct Walters: family/friends drove up with **Walter Becker** (last known to Pops in the Carolinas — a surprise to him); and **Walter H[ildebrandt]** is *"scheduled for induction tomorrow which is the 27"* and thinks he may be rejected. The Walter H. induction date (Apr 27 1943) is a hard, datable family-tree fact and dovetails with the separate May 1943 inbound note from Walter Hildebrandt elsewhere in this batch. - **Ma's package — the green Polish sausage.** *"everything was O.K. in it except the Polish sausage which was green and didn't smell so good."* Vivid homefront-to-camp detail; the Polish food parcels are a recurring Ma motif and tie to the family's Polish heritage. Easter cards from Anna, Ma, and Kathleen also arrived — Pops apologizes he *"couldn't get one"* to send back. - **Weight talk + "Happy" the gunner.** *"this losing weight in the Army is pretty mutual... Happy was pretty heavy before he went in. I lost a little too."* Continues the weight-tracking thread (157→139→149 across the corpus) and references **Happy/Hoppy**, the gunner correspondent. - **Confinement detail.** *"I can't even leave the area of the squadron never mind the camp. These darned Post Ex. guys don't sell anything including soap, matches, and etc."* — Kingman trainees restricted to squadron area; understocked Post Exchange. Concrete texture for the Kingman setting. - **Easter framing.** Written at Easter 1943 (Easter Sunday fell Apr 25), the letter doubles as a belated Easter card and closes with the recurring homesick refrain: *"maybe by the time the next one comes I might be home."* ## Family-tree refresh from this letter - **Karl** — Arthur's brother; writes letters, relays family news (the Walter Becker visit), and notes Arthur "hasn't written in a week." Confirms the K-spelled "Karl" correspondent. - **Walter Becker** — family friend/correspondent; visited West Warwick with Anna, John, and Pop; last known to Arthur in North or South Carolina. (Distinct from Walter H.) - **Walter H[ildebrandt]** — scheduled for **induction Apr 27, 1943**; thinks he may be rejected. Ties to the May 1943 inbound Walter Hildebrandt note in this same batch. - **Al** — works 7 AM–6 PM at **Brown & Sharpe**; Quonset (NAS) wants him back at his old job or he must take another war job. Homefront defense-worker arc. - **Connie** — girlfriend-correspondent; X's up from 3 to 17; misses Arthur and Ted most; wants him to come home and visit. Corresponds well before McCook. - **Ted (/Tel)** — romantic rival for Connie; *"quite a nice fellow"*; writes Arthur a couple of letters. "Only one obsticle... Ted." - **"Happy" (Hoppy)** — gunner; was heavy before enlisting; weight-loss comparison. - **Kathleen** — sent an Easter card (here the sister Kathleen). - **Ma (Elizabeth)** — sent the package with the green Polish sausage; the wash-out reassurance is routed to her via Anna. - **John (Johnny) & Pop** — among those who came up with Walter Becker. ## Open questions - ⭐ **Exact date of the Bob Hope broadcast from Kingman AAF Flexible Gunnery School** — "last week" relative to Apr 26 1943 points to ~mid/late April 1943. Cross-check against *Pepsodent Show* (Bob Hope) radio logs and Kingman base history. Strong, verifiable archival hook. - ⭐ **The 4 Miami portraits** — mailed home in *this* envelope. Do they survive in the attic? Named attic-recovery soft-watch item; this letter is their provenance. Also: the 1½ rolls Pops shot on Anna's camera at Kingman — were those ever developed/kept? - **Anna's camera** — *"that camera is a dandy and certainly must have cost you plenty."* A gift from Anna; model/fate unknown. Mom-interview item. - **Walter Becker's service** — last in the Carolinas, then visited West Warwick. Branch/unit? Relationship to the family? - **Was Walter H. (Hildebrandt) actually inducted Apr 27 or rejected?** The May 1943 inbound Hildebrandt note in this batch may resolve it. - **Al's full identity & whether he ended up at Quonset, Brown & Sharpe, or in the service** — running open thread across the corpus. - **Connie** — full name, West Warwick? Mom-interview candidate; predates the McCook girlfriend memory. ## Themes kingman-aafgs · 2nd-student-sqdn · GUNNERY-WASHOUT-EYES · cryptographer-arc-origin · gap-fill-mar-may-1943 · TELL-MA-NOT-TO-WORRY · anna-as-intermediary · BOB-HOPE-BROADCAST-KINGMAN · frances-langford · jerry-colonna · virginia-bruce · 4-MIAMI-PORTRAITS-MAILED-HOME · annas-camera-dandy · AL-AT-BROWN-AND-SHARPE · quonset-war-job · connie-ted-love-triangle · X-count-3-to-17 · clark-gable-rivalry · walter-becker-visit · WALTER-H-INDUCTION-APR-27 · green-polish-sausage · easter-1943 · happy-the-gunner · weight-loss · post-exchange-shortages · maybe-home-by-next-easter