Page 8

7272D AIRCRAFT GUNNERY GROUP (USAFE WPN CEN) 7272d Air Base Wing APO 231, New York, N.Y. 23 July 1953 Miss Frances Ward Reader's Digest Research Department 230 Park Avenue New York 17, New York Dear Miss Ward: I am enclosing the form questionnaire forwarded by your depart- ment to me in connection with research being done for Mr. Ryan's book about D-Day. Judging from the wording of the questions on your form, I would gather that Mr. Ryan is more concerned with individuals who actually landed in Normandy on D-Day rather than those of us who flew missions out of England in support of the effort. However, for whatever value they may have, I have provided answers to your questions. I am also enclosing an extract of a diary I kept during that period. I have changed none of the wording contained in the original diary. It might be well for your department to recognize that the words were written by a very impressionable, very enthusiastic and very young fighter pilot. I am being transferred from this station to Washington in the very near future. I shall be assigned somewhere within the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. At this time I have no forwarding address nor even a contact point that I could furnish you for further reference. I hope the information I am forwarding will be useful. Very truly yours, Robin Olds ROBIN OLDS Colonel, USAF