Letter from RAF attaché in Washington

[08SMLE48]

Howdy folks. Here’s something I think is pretty neat that you don’t see everyday. It’s a letter to my good, and unfortunately, late friend, Richard “Dick” Updike from Group Captain Pirie the RAF Air Attaché in Washington DC prior to the US involvement in WWII. So now the background….

Dick was born and raised in the South Texas town of Kingsville and worked with his dad ranching and farming for a living. In 1939 Dick tried to join the Army and all seemed to be going smooth until it was time for his physical and he fail…rejected for service in the US Army. Reason was for a perforated eardrum (I think). He went back to work and WWII broke out in Europe. He felt he should do his part and read an article about foreign folks serving in the RAF. He and a friend thought that’s what they should do but being poor South Texas farm boys they couldn’t afford to pay their way. So Dick wrote the RAF a letter requesting funding which as you can read was denied. So he gave up and went to work for the railroad and got married.

In 1942 he received a draft notice and being under the impression he was 4F he told the board. They said let’s have another look and he was passed 1A and entered service in the US Army. Dick realized his dad, afraid he would be looking a farm hand, sabotaged his trying to enlist three years earlier. Dick went on to serve in the USAAF as a Sergeant and served on Iwo Jima from March 1945 till the end of the war.

Enjoy!

[Anderson]

An interesting document giving a window into that time. Dick didn't make it, but some did, or where living in Britain at the time. 9 American citizens served in the RAF during the "Battle of Britain".