A handwritten letter dated March 11, 1999, from a Navy veteran of patrol squadron VP-47 to the family of a man named Rufus, recalling the era of the Martin PBM Mariner seaplane and a fatal accident involving Rufus during naval patrol operations. The letter reflects on the PBM's limitations compared to its successor, the P5M Marlin, and references a period newspaper account of the accident. Correspondence of this kind offers valuable firsthand insight into naval patrol aviation and its risks during the mid-20th century. Project: 218244