February 10, 1967

Dear Lorraine,

Hi! Honey, How are you? My ship is still in the hanger but should be ready to fly tomorrow. The problem now is that I’m grounded. It turns out that I have never had a Flight Physical so I went today to get my physical signed off. One of the tests is a pressure test on your eyes, they use an instrument that is placed on your eyeball and some how it measures internal eye pressure. The idiot doing the test dropped it and scratched my eye. My eye is watering and my vision is blurred. I hope I’m ready when my ship is, I don’t want any one else crewing it.

Two of the guys will be going home next week and I am envious. I know my turn will come and I know several more will leave before I do. It still makes home sick. The good part is that we will have a party for them before they go. It will be some time in October when I get home and I’ll have a great suntan you will be in your winter white as a sheet skin. Actually what I think is a suntan is just stained skin form the reddish brown dirt over here.

I got another letter from you today, you’re great. I’ve been here four months now and have not had one letter from any of my friends. Maybe that tells me something about who you can count on. I’ll re-evaluate them when I get home.

I don’t have much else to tell you, its pretty slow here right now. The guys that are still flying say there is not much going on. They have flown a few CA’s but no big activity. I’ll write again tomorrow and let you know how the eye is doing.

Love
Tom
S.W.A.K.

Tom Gator 851.