A few years ago, I started Googling the names of some of the people I served with in the Marine Corps eons ago. I found some of these folks, but was reluctant to contact them, thinking perhaps they had moved on and would not want to talk to me. One name stood out to me, because this person now lives in Mobile. I knew he continued in aviation after leaving the Marine Corps in 1980, and I assumed he was maybe flying helicopters offshore to the oil rigs. Yesterday, I finally developed the nerve to call his phone number, and I talked to his wife. She told me he had mentioned my name to her over the years, and said he would be returning from Atlanta today and that he would definitely call, me.
My friend called me this afternoon, and we stayed on the phone for 3 hours. Mrs. Z kept passing me notes to see if we could arrange a lunch liaison with he and his wife at some point in the near future. He agreed and I suggested we let the two wives work out the details.
My friend in Mobile then gave me contact information for my former room-mate from Whiting Field, as the both of them became Coast Guard officers (and pilots) after they left the Marines, and were stationed together. So I sent this other friend an email (after getting his email address), and he answered me back quickly. I am hoping we can talk tomorrow.
These are folks I last saw in 1979. We went through the flight training program together in 1975-76. After retiring from the Coast Guard, my friend from Mobile ultimately flew as a copilot on MD-88s for Delta. My former room-mate is still flying--Gulfstream executive jets for Chevron--I think he flies Chevron Executives all over the world.
I am just blown away by all of this, and am kicking myself for not calling on my Mobile friend right after I found his number in 2010!
My friend called me this afternoon, and we stayed on the phone for 3 hours. Mrs. Z kept passing me notes to see if we could arrange a lunch liaison with he and his wife at some point in the near future. He agreed and I suggested we let the two wives work out the details.
My friend in Mobile then gave me contact information for my former room-mate from Whiting Field, as the both of them became Coast Guard officers (and pilots) after they left the Marines, and were stationed together. So I sent this other friend an email (after getting his email address), and he answered me back quickly. I am hoping we can talk tomorrow.
These are folks I last saw in 1979. We went through the flight training program together in 1975-76. After retiring from the Coast Guard, my friend from Mobile ultimately flew as a copilot on MD-88s for Delta. My former room-mate is still flying--Gulfstream executive jets for Chevron--I think he flies Chevron Executives all over the world.
I am just blown away by all of this, and am kicking myself for not calling on my Mobile friend right after I found his number in 2010!