Lts. Brownwell, Crosby, Stone, and myself, all from the 17th Pursuit Squadron, were told to go back to Nichols, take over the 17th and reorganize it, and take charge of maintenance work at both Nichols and Nielson airfields. From all reports everything was pretty much of a mess at these places. Lt. Brownwell was the officer in charge. This was a break for me because I wanted to be in Manila, and I was determined to do my best.
Even though we had been apart for only a week, it was a happy reunion that Dorothy and I had when I reached Manila that evening. Also, it was quite treat to sleep in a warm bed after spending a week sleeping on a cot in the open at Clark. It rained nearly every morning before daylight where we were, and everyone would be soaked.