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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Stone, Robert L. (1921-2009) to Jacob Stone and Beatrice Stone.

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09620.052 Author/Creator: Stone, Robert L. (1921-2009) Place Written: Childress, Texas Type: Autograph letter signed Date: circa October 1943 Pagination: 2 p. ; 27.2 x 19.4 cm. Order a Copy PDF Download(s): Transcript of document

Addressed to "Dad and Bee." Acknowledges the big event yesterday, and he wishes he could've been home for it. He writes that he's graduating in a week and a day, and everyone is a wreck from their night flights. They caught up on their bombing, and tomorrow he's going to drop his "last four qualification bombs." They also have to log forty-four hours of navigation, but that's just a matter of logging the time, rather than missions.

Closes the letter asking for all of the wedding details, before going to bed at 6:00PM.

The letter is dated as "Friday Night." Circa date drawn from content relating to Ken's wedding and Stone's graduation date.

Robert "Bob" Stone was a Bombardier in World War II and served in the Pacific Front. These letters, were compiled by Bob's wife, Sheila M. Stone, and Ali Adair into a book named Letters in a Box. This book details Bob's service to his country, and his life after the war. Bob's letters were donated to the collection by his wife, Sheila M. Stone, in 2017. It contains a variety of letters, postcards, patches, pins, photographs, and scrapbooks that relate to Bob's training and combat missions.

[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
Friday Night
Dear Dad and Bee -
I imagine you're all pretty excited and happy about yesterday's big event, and sure enough you should be! I really think it's swell, and I only wish I could have been home for the occasion.
Well, it's just one week from tomorrow and we graduate if nothing goes askew between now and then. Right now we're all a physical wreck after a mighty rough week of flying. Getting up at 1:30 in the black cold of night is no fun. By the time 7:00 in the morning rolls around and we leave the line to eat lunch we're absolute dead. Then back again for three more hours of flying. We've really worked hard all week and consequently have caught up on our bombing. Tomorrow I'm going to drop my last four qualification bombs, and then I'll only have have 25 Sperry bombs to drop.
All week we've been flying navigation missions to complete our 44 hours of navigation time. It's just been a matter of logging time because we've flown all our required missions.
As yet, I haven't gotten Eddie's or Grace's address from you, Dad. Unless you've already sent them, please be sure to [inserted: do so] as soon as possible. Perhaps, I haven't received your letter yet. By

[2]
the way Bee, the O.D.'s came. Thanks alot.
No more now cause it's almost 6:00, my bed time. Be sure to write me all the details etc. about the wedding.
S'long now. write.
Lots of love -
Bobby

Stone, Robert L., 1921-2009
Stone, Jacob, fl. 1894-1985
Stone, Beatrice Hecht Marks, 1901-1962

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