Glen E. Curtis

Completes Basic Traning

Pvt. Glen E. Curtis, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe B. Curtis, Lowell, Indiana, has completed his AF basic airmen indoctrination course at Lackland Air Force Base, the Gateway to the Air Force.

Lackland, situated near San Antonio, is the world's largest air force base, center of Air Force basic training, for airmen and women, indoctination station for prior service re-enlistees, and home of AF's Officer Candidate School.

His basic training has prepared him for entrance into Air Force technical training and for assignment in specialized work. The course included a scientific evaluation of his aptitude and inclination for following a particular vocation and career.

Lowell Servicemen Spend Holidays at Home

Christmas furloughs find some of the community's boys in service home for the holidays.

Glen Curtis of the Marine Corps is at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Curtis, after an absence of seven months. Glen is sattioned in Los Angeles.

Bob Duncan of the Army Air Coprs, stationed in Mississippi, is enjoying the holiday season with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Duncan, after being away for the past six months.

Gene Rust, also of the Army Air Corps, is spending the Christmas holidays with his folks, Mr. and Mrs. George Rust.

Dick Burgess, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Burgess, who is a member of the U.S. Marines, will be at home until January 3.

Dick Childress, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Childress, who is stationed at Scott Field, arrived home Friday evening for a 10-day Christmas furlough.

Home for Sunday and Christmas day were Bill Jonelis, Kenneth Hardin, Jack King, David Keithley and Joe O'Dea, all of Ft. Knox, Ky., and Ed Ceiga of Camp Atterbury.

Leave January 3

Bert Duncan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Duncan and John Black, son of Louie Black, will be among the 18 draftees from the Crown Point board when the group leave for induction at Indianapolis on January 3rd.

Willard T. Bessette of Cedar Lake, former L.H.S. grid and basketball star, who graduated with the class of '49, has enlisted in the U.S. naval reserves at Gary. He has been assigned to Organized Surface Div. 9-38, under the command of Lt. Benedict.

A stepped up call for 400 men from the Calumet region during the first half of Jan. was issued yesterday in the face of a national mobilization order. The Crown Point draft board will call 30 men for physicals Jan. 2.

Pfc. Leon D. Davis, son of the Halsey Davis[es] of Lake Village, who is stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, recently wrote to his grandmother, Mrs. Iza Cobb, of his successful completion of studies. An Honor Roll student, Leon ranks third in his squadron.

Leon told of enjoying the company of Glen Curtis at a show last week. Glen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Curtis, is also stationed at Sheppard Field.

Mildenhall, England -- Nov. 15 -- For the third time since World War II, the B-29 Superfortresses of the 22nd Bomb Wing (Medium) are streaking contrails high across Europe's skies, but this time there is a big difference.

There are many recent civilians at the controls.

Although essentially a "California" outfit stationed at March Air Force Base near Riverside, the 22nd had drawn on flying talent from virtually every state in the Union.

Among them are 25 Hoosiers including Pfc. Glen E. Curtis, 20 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Curtis, of Lowell. Glen, who graduated from Lowell high school in '51, is a mechanic.

Gone are most of the 22nd's veteran air crews who dumped 6,800 tons of high explosives on the North Koreans late in 1950 -- gone to new units to spread their recent combat experience throughout the expanding U.S. Air Force.

The new crews are largely made of "recallees," World War II men Reserve status. Fresh from civilian life, the "recallees" have tackled their re-training program enthusiastically. Their sustained drive to reach full combat readiness draws unqualified praise from the Wing's Commander, Col. James V. Edmundson, Jr., of Santa Monica, Calif. -- and he's not a man to pass out compliment lightly.

"These are top-bracket, handpicked men," he says. "There is no marginal material among them. They are ambitious, and they are in there pitching to get the job done quickly."

Flying from three airfields in East Anglia -- "the land of the Fens" -- the recallees are squeezing every possible flying hour out of their planes. The flying goes on around the clock with 10 hours being a normal mission. You can cover an awful lot of Western Europe in 10 hours in a B-29; and the new crews are rapidly becoming familiar with the face of Europe.

Every mission has a definite purpose, and is carefully planned and coordinated. Planes might disperse in small groups in many flight patterns over Europe, and then suddenly rendezvous for a simulated mass raid on Paris or London. Oftentimes they fly in conjunction with RAF bombers, including RAF B-29's, which the English call "Washingtons." Coming back into England from Europe, the American bombers can count on being intercepted by RAF jet fighters which are directed by radar. The British are still sharpening up the famed interceptor system which won the "Battle of Britain" and probably staved off a German invasion of the Isles.

The fields used by the Americans hum with activity, and security is almost on a war-time basis. The Superforts are widely dispersed, and any time you go near one of them you are certainly to be challenged by a guard carrying a very business-like, and loaded, shotgun. You've got to have a valid reason for being anywhere near a Baker two-niner.

Runways are being extended, and more taxi-ways are being added. American Ack-Ack crews man their gun emplacements. Hedge-hopping British jets flash in low on these gun crews and keep them constantly on their toes. The fields are so spread that nearly everyone has a motor scooter, bike, or motorcycle. The prevalence of motor scooters, California style, is usually enough to identify a Strategic Air Command unit such as this one.

Their balliwick in England is that picture book countryside northeast of London and south of "The Wash." Across the Channel due east of them lies The Netherlands. The ancient and historic cities of Cambridge, Ely, King's Lynn, and Bury St. Edmund provide relaxation for the U.S. airmen.

They like the RAF and the English, even to the extent of taking up "darts," but they are looking forward to "rotating" Stateside in the near future.

Pfc. Glen Curtis and his guest, Cpl. Forrest Stewart whose home is in Texas, spent the weekend at the home of Glen's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Curtis.

Glen and Forrest received their recruit training together and both were sent to England where they spent three months. They are now stationed at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Ill., where they are attending classes in advanced airplane mechanics. They will complete their courses April 1st.

A/2c Glen Curtis arrived at the home of his parents, the Joe Curtises, last weekend and will enjoy a 30-day leave. He will return to March Air Base near Riverside, Calif., where he has been stationed for some time. Last year, Glen spent several months in England.

Glen Curtis left Sunday evening, via plane, for his base in California, having concluded a 30-day leave enjoyed at the home of his parents, the Joe Curtises.