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Dear Shirley,

I just hung up the ‘phone with John Essig in Indiana who gave me the sad news about Tom’s passing. I just had to get a letter to you telling you how certain I am that all remaining members of Crew 10 are solidly with you in spirit & in prayers. There has been a bond between us all ever since we became a crew back in 1944 & most especially that bond was strongest between our airplane commander & the rest of us on his crew. The fact that we did not often see one another in the post-war years did not tessen the vitality of that bond. It was inspired by Tom’s talents & abilities as a pilot since we all soon realized how vital his inner strength & discipline were to our welfare. The affection of all of us spread like a family’s concern & care for one another, cememting that bond like few others in human experience. I would have flown to the moon with Tom Bell & I think all the other crew members felt the same way. That strong belief lay at the foundation of our profound respect & affection for him & grew in the post-war years in all our minds. The world is less gallant & strong without Tom Bell in it & I am especially thankful that I had the opportunity to see & know Tom better when I came out to visit you both. Meeting his Shirley was getting to know the softer, more beautiful part of Tom’s life & the experience enriched my life further. I’ll be forever grateful you had the good sense to ask me to help in a small way & today I am the one grateful for that opportunity.

My prayers and thoughts are surely with Tom’s surviving family. It was truly a privilege to meet you all at a time when Tom was still with us. He will be mentioned frequently in my prayers.

I am well & recovering nicely from open-heart surgery. Will write soon & fill you in. Requiescat in pacem, Dear Tom, You will be remembered forever by your crew for whose survival & well-being we have you to thank!