This week I will be going to my "ships reunion" in Norfolk. I haven't been to ships reunion for my rating yet because this is the first one I've known about. It is amazing how small the world is and peoples paths we cross and never know some fact that seems insignificant and turns out to be very significant. My youngest daughter has a best friend from Virginia. Across the miles and the years they have been forever best friends. I knew her friends Mother only cordially and have talked to her a couple of times over these years. I only knew her as my daughters best friends mother. I knew her name but nothing about her beyond the usual impersonal information. A few months ago we both "Liked" something on our daughters Face Book.
She looked at my Facebook page and sent me a message. "I've known you for 30+ years and I didn't know that you were an OT in the Navy. So Was I". It appears that we both were in a top secret rating that only had about 500 or 600 active sailors in the service at any given time. Much of the information about our rating and job was declassified a couple years ago but after so many years of keeping quiet about it and never talking about it with anyone we discovered a common thread of friendship, other than our daughters.
She told me about the IUSS reunion. My wife and I have made arrangements to go and meet with other men and women who served in our specialty through the years. I've been out of the Navy over 40 years now and I have never met another OT, so I don't know how may of the people, names, and faces I'll remember. I looked and saw that some have passed and others served in places I was never stationed, but even if I only see, or reacquaint with, one or two it should be an interesting adventure. There is now a museum about the IUSS and SOSUS sailors that has been dedicated in Virginia. I was told at the dedication an Admiral stated that he believed we were one of the primary reasons the US won the "Cold War".
Most of the Facilities and places where I was stationed have since been closed and dismantled. Adak Alaska, Argentia Newfoundland, Coos Bay Oregon, We've been "replaced" with computers and technology. There was some rough times in the "Vietnam Era" of the late 60's and early 70's. It was a difficult time to serve in the military for a number of reasons. My last duty station was actually on board a ship, FF1050. That ship has since been decommissioned and sold. It is part of the Brazilian navy now.
So in this small world that we live in it is good to reach out and learn more about the paths of other people and what their dreams, aspirations, and family are. Her Granddaughter and my Granddaughter are now "Best Friends" . Her family is from a Proud Minnesota Native American Tribe, her Father also served in the Military in WW II and is an honored Veteran. I Salute him and his people. They have a proud tradition of the Pow Wow. Let's learn more about that on the evening news.
In these times it helps to believe in the basic Honor and Goodness of people. "You Move towards what you dwell upon." When one believes in the good and honor of people and expect the very best, that is precisely what we will get. In the Media we mostly hear about the shortcomings of people and the evil that some can perpetrate on others. I usually change the channel now. That is not news. I've heard the headline to many times. I don't need to hear the details.
My Friends and Family are of every race, creed, nationality and other personal choices. My privilege is to know, honor, live, and share with them all. That's what I find to be the good of Facebook, Twitter, and the other sites. Yes, there are some less that honorable things that are "posted". Language I don't, won't, cannot use. But, when two little boys get millions of "Likes" for running and hugging each other as friends it is proof that most people are paying attention to the good of others and this life. A friend told me many years ago.. "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care"
We look forward to being of service to you.