how long a military friendship will last. Transfers, death , and discharges all point to short friendships when in the military. But some can be quite long. I first met Richard in 1964 in VA-42. Him and I were bothe going through training on the A6A Intruder aircraft. He was from south central Georgia and I fron central Ohio. Not the most likely candidates for a lasting friendship. We soon transfered to our home squadron. Dick to VA-35 and I to VA-75 on oposit sides of the hangar. I still got to see him regularly until 1966. He deployed to Viet Nam aboard a carrier and I went to the Med. on USS Independence. 1967 and I trans. back to VA-42 for shore duty and a few months later here comes Richard. Dec. 1968 We bought a house in Va. Beach, Va. and moved in. Low and behold we were right next door to Richard and Ruby. Then Richard made E-7 and got orders to Submarine Patrol squadron in Brunswick Maine. I had orders to VA-35 at Oceana, Va. Beach. And I made a cruise to Nam aboard USS America. Three years later and I was up for shore duty. I had been in and out of Oceana for 11 1/2 years and wanted to go some where else. I got orders to Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School at Brunswick Maine as an instructor. After a year up there, Richard retired and moved back to Georgia. I finished up my shore duty and got orders to VA-86 at Cecil Field, Jacksonville Fla. We wer 5 hour drive time from Dick and Ruby's. Either we would go up there or they would come down there once a month for a visit. Then I transferred to VS-24 at the same base, and made a med cruise on USS Nimitz, and the got rerouted to the Indian Ocean to help with the Iran Hostage situation. In 1980 I got orders to recruiting duty in Marysville Ohio, my home town and in 1983 retire with a total of 22 years service. What ever happened to Richard and Ruby? They are still in Georgia where they have 3 grand kids and we visit each other at least once a year for a few weeks at a time. A casual military friendship has turned into a 47 year close friendship and will remain so until the friends pass and meet again in heaven. So value those friends you made in the service, and if you lost track of them, search them out!