February 26,1985

How very wonderful and exciting to hear from you after 40 years. You really made my day! Your photographs and letter brought back many memories- some good and some bad. Yes, I remember well the bodies stacked up on the beach and the Germans bloated at Point de Hoc- but then I also remember the great people we worked with and sweated out the communications day by day. It was people like you that helped me get to where I did in the Air Forcc. You were a bit more lucky than I was, after we ended up in Weimar, as I was sent directly to Leyte with the advance party of the First Army and 9th TAC. We planned for the invasion of Honshu and expected the rest of you to arrive any day - then the bomb was dropped, and thank goodness the war was over. Col. Meyers and I, and a group of radar people and controllers were sent immediately to Tokyo where we set up a control center for our aircraft. In late November I was returned to the States and sent immediately to Panama where I spent three months working on a radar plan for its defense. Finally in April 1946 I was given my R and R and I spent a month with my wife and two children. We then went to Langley Air Base for station. So I was gone from home from July 18,1942 until April l946- it was a long separation from my family.

Our son was wounded as a Lt. Col. Infantry in Vietnam and our daughter works for Boeing in their lobbying office in Washington. Both are married and have children. We are a happy family.

Our son was stationed at Creenham Commons back in 1967 and we spent three months with him, so we visited Middle Wallop several times- the folks there couldn't have been nicer -they let us look around and I even showed the family the room I had in the Officer's Club. The coal to heat the building was piled up out side my window so it very seldom was opened as the coal dust blew right in.

This summer late I expect to visit East Germany including Weimar, but I'm afraid it will be too hurried to see as much as I would like, as it is a plan- ned tour. However, better than not going at all. I 'm returning some of your memorabilia as I know how much you prize it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed hearing from you and to know you are doing so well. Our best to you and your Mary,

Sincerely,
Major General E.Blair Garland, USAF, Retired