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| John, Mickey, Larry and YT |
Speaking of party photo’s, here’s one that was long overdue. Above photo was taken at a recent party at my house where John Garner, Mickey Bowes, Larry Crum and I were all together for the first time in almost 40 years. Back in the 70’s we all worked together at NAS Supply Department and were close friends.
Harry Koehler was head of Supply where he had established a series of GS-5/7/9/11 ladder positions in the Planning Division. Somehow, the four of us managed to land one of these positions and as a result we all worked together for several years. I recall someone recounting how they asked Melvin Yost, who also worked on Base, if he was going to attend their office Christmas party. Melvin replied “No. I got to work with them but I don’t have to associate with them.”
Well, with the 4 of us working there at Supply, the opposite of what Melvin said was true in that we actually enjoyed each other’s company away from work and did a lot together. Along with our wives, we would hang out together, go to ball games, go camping, take day trips and of course party together. And when I say party, I do mean party.
Don’t know if it was the Harry Koehler influence or what, but we all ended up living in the Second District. Mickey of course was already there in Tall Timbers, but Larry built a house in Valley Lee before he moved to Calvert County while John built in Drayden. I ended up here in Piney Point right around the corner from where Harry and his wife Lea lived.
In fact, the first time I ever went to Harry and Lea’s house was to attend a surprise baby shower – for me. In 1977 my then wife was very pregnant with our daughter Ryan. Harry and Lea had a surprise baby shower for us with the twist that while the wife knew about it, I did not. I thought that it was “just” an office party. In fact, I had been down the Store drinking beer that Saturday, came home and suggested to her that we not go. She then proceeded to talk me into it and I should have known that something was up. (Whenever the one spouse wants to go to the other spouse’s office party, something is suspicious. Somebody is either banging somebody or in this case there is another reason.)
Anyway, it was nice to have all these guys together again and do some reminiscing about our times both at and away from work. Through the years we have gone our separate ways but it’s still good to catch up with them and have a laugh or two. Will make a point to do that more often in the future.