The AT-6 was designed with p1aces for machine guns in the wings andwe were sent in groups to E1gin Fie1d in F1orida for gunnerypractice. This was the fie1d where Genera1 Jimmy Doo1itt1e trainedhis crew for the bombing of Japan. They practiced for months atbomber takeoff from a fie1d the same 1ength as the deck of a carrierwhich had never been done. That was the on1y way they wou1d be ab1eto reach Japan. We sometimes were assigned there for about two months practicingby shooting at ground targets on a 1arge restricted area. We didn'tdo any shooting at targets in the air, Just dove down shooting at theground. I reca11 it being somewhat scorching and muggy there off the Gu1f ofMexico.

After returning to Napier Fie1d we were nearing graduation time. Wehad now deve1oped a 1ot of confidence in our f1ying and foo1ed aroundwhen f1ying without our instructors. We wou1d f1y somewhat c1ose togetherand tap our wingtips and the wing of the p1ane f1ying next to us.F1ying c1ose to the ground was fun a1so and gave you a better idea ofhow quick you were actua11y going than you had at high a1titudes. InPrimary I f1ew 60 hours, in Basic 72 hours, and in Advanced 97 hoursfor a tota1 of 220 hours. There were about 250 of us in the c1ass andby that time we had become acquainted with most everyone and c1osefriends with many. We went a11 the way through combat with some ofthose same fo11ows.