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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 #: GLC09620.075 Author/Creator: Stone, Robert L., 1921-2009 Place Written: March Field, California Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1 January 1944 Pagination: 2 p. : envelope Height: 26.5 cm, Width: 18.5 cm Order a Copy PDF Download(s): Transcript of document

Addressed to "Dad + Bee." The plane his crew flies had an engine fail when they were in the air and the next time they flew it was on the "fritz," so they landed after circling their base. The first day they were flying out over the ocean and broke formation to land at a small airport outside of Fresno. He thinks the plane should be fixed the next time they fly.

They didn't celebrate New Years Eve as flying six-hour missions on oxygen is exhausting and they were all in bed by 9:30PM. He is very happy that the call request he thought he canceled went through and he was able to speak to his parents. Reiterates that he "most certainly do[es] like his crew!" and they're a "swell bunch."

The letter is dated "Saturday Nite." "Letters in a Box" notes the letter dated as January 1, 1944.

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

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