Chuck:

Hows your Lex coming? I've added a Toms PE set and a block of yellow decal to cut into landing stripes and a tin of the WEM mahogany that I picked up at the show for only $2,25. One of the guys "GAtor" makes transfers / masks so I'm getting 3 different sized sets of L - E - X made up. Someguy had that out of print book on the Lex but wanted way to much, but he did let me look at it and there were some good photos of her in 1939 and 1940 to verify what I wanted to do with the flight deck. Still waiting on my pre-ordered backdate set. and hopefully those planes will be out soon...of course I don't need all this until December, but I also wanted to get in contact with you and Tom.

Got a call from Larry Lamonte.... he moved into Plano and saw my name address on a VMI job search site. He sends greetings to all. Oh and Tom....what's a battle buddy?

Weeellll, actually I am working on an ISW South Dakota right now, and it is progressing slowly. I am converting her to a late '20s rig Pueblo, as she would have appeared had the Great Pacific War been a true story. Other than working on some planes, I haven't really started on my Lex. I am actually contemplating mailing her and Hornet off to NZ for a future ">project.

The downside of modeling here is that I don't have a lot of time, except on Fridays. We work a 55 hrs a week (like being a cadet again), and most nights I am too tired to pick up a piece of sandpaper.

Glad to hear that someone is making progress.

I'm still buried in the Nimitz, but am close to finishing. Have the upper hull basically done other than the black booting stipe Flight deck is painted and single piece as soon as I put the boot strip on hull I'll cement the flight deck on and start all the brass work requird on that (adders, fuel hoses and safety eeting. Have completed the island and radar tower. Last step will be assembling screws, shafts and rudder to lower hull painting it them adding it to rest of kit. I might finish it by the end ofthe month as projected. Though those deck decals may take quite a while.

Your "battle buddy" is the guy you partner up with in the field, to make sure you don't get lost, and look out for each other.

We used to assign them with basic trainees to make sure they didn't mess up too badly in the field.

What class is Larry? Seems to me there may have been a Lamonte in either '75 or '74. Is that the same guy?

TC

Lamonte is one of Chucks BR's I knew him from the Tanker PLatoon as well. Start my Paralegal next Monday. Of course wouldn't you know I got picked up for a company last week. It's a temp job making a whopping $9.5 a hour, but with my expenses it'll do All I do is pack boxes of veternary supply orders. Easy work but on some days long hours OT ! Problem is a school conflict with the OT starting next week, so the gig may end. It was only suppossed to be for one day, but I'm doing well so I'll get a week and a half at least and who knows they may work with me and school. The Nimitz is so close I can taste it, but workig 1 hours one day and 9 the next I just don't feel up to it. Probably put the last bits on over the weekend. Some rails and a bunch f deck antennas then the aircraft and finally the island assemly.