Excerts from The Flight Line, a sort of history book of the flying school, states:  "On October 7, 1941, the event of all this planning had arrived.  Twenty-two rated instructors and three flying officers were confronted by their first eager students in the Army program."  ...  "From this first class to graduate, was A/C W. W. Bonner, who, incidentally, was the first to finish his prescribed number of hours at the 304th Air Corps Training Detachment.  After receiving his wings and commission he was sent to the North African theater where he distinguished himself in combat and was, in January of 1943, shot down over enemy territory.  Enduring many personal hardships, Lt. Bonner made his way through enemy lines back to his own headquarters.  Later, he was again shot down over the Mediterranean where he was last seen - his parachute open.  Lt. Bonner was only one of the many pilots who have started their career here and have later distinguished themselves in action throughout the world."  ... "From the first class 42-D ..."

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The following photograph, letter and articles are from Barbara Kennedy, Atlanta, Georgia, a niece of Carson Bounds.  She says, "My mother's brother, Carson Bounds,  wrote the attached letter from the Coleman Primary Flying School.  I just found the letter in the drawer of my grandmother's old Singer treadle sewing machine.  The envelope was not saved and the letter is not dated.  But from his mention of Christmas and the talk of possible war with Japan, it seems to me that it was before December 7 and maybe in November."

Class of 42-D
Taken in front of the Administration Building in the latter part of 1941 by W. P. Martin Studio, Coleman, Texas.
Carson Bounds, 4th from left, front row, is the only one identified.

On the back of the photograph are signatures of some of those in this group,
with image of the back at the right.

Hugh Johnston, Jr. Woodstock, Georgia Thomas F. Powell Dora, Alabama William W. Bonner Knoxville, Tennessee J. Edwin Heatherly Atlanta, Georgia Charles E. Beall Bunkie, Louisiana Harold W. Goad Portsmouth, Ohio Thomas H. Higgins Auburn, New York Newman C. Densby Douglas, Alabama Wilbur H. Carlisle Alexander City, Alabama Francis X. Egan Flushing, New York Carl F. Chapman Macon, Georgia John S. Lea Knoxville, Tennessee Robert G. DeLaney Etowah, Tennessee William N. Pace Guthrie, Kentucky Carson Bounds Philadelphia, Mississippi

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The following letter and articles are about Lieut. Carson W. Bounds

Image of letter from Carson Bounds to his mother and family and transcription:

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