"Pilot, we'd better get a radar mechanic out here," I said. "Until we get this fixed my students won't have anything to work with."
The pilot flashed the landing lights and the crew chief
scampered up the stairs to see what was the matter. The pilot
sent him back to my station and I explained the problem. In a
flash he was down the steps, and dashing across the ramp to the
maintenance support truck. The sergeant in the radio-equipped
support vehicle called for a mechanic to come out on the double.
In barely ten minutes I heard footsteps coming up the retractable stairs to the plane. A shadowy figure stopped up front and soon turned to come back to the main radar console where I was waiting. It as the radar mechanic, carrying a small cloth tool bag.
Just about the time I heard, "What's the problem, sir?" and looked up to see the mechanic's face, I was absolutely flabbergasted. I immediately recognized that mechanic as a boyhood chum, whom I had not seen in six years or more. We were both young teenagers then and now grown adults.
"Jack," I exclaimed. "My god it is you. What a surprise this is!"
I got up, grabbed his hand for a hearty shake and then reached over to give my long-lost pal a hug and pat on the back. The grins across both our faces were enormous. I was a new second lieutenant and he was a two-stripe enlisted man. My students just sat there watching the two of us, wondering what in the world was going on, I guess.
In a few minutes we got around to the main business of the hour. I explained to Jack that the radar synchronizer unit was acting up and we could not stabilize the radar screen. He verified my diagnosis and called for the crew chief to radio in for a replacement unit. The repair would take just five minutes, once an operable synchronizer box was installed. The box came soon and Jack installed it in a jiffy. That did the trick and we were able to get our mission flown successfully.
Before take-off I'd given Jack a note with my home telephone number
and address. He assured me that he'd get in touch and come over to
the house for a visit. I wanted to introduce him to my bride of just
four months and spend some time catching up on each other's lives.
He did, we did and in the following months we renewed our
friendship and reminisced about the "old days", as if two guys
in their 20's had any real old days.
My pal and I became acquainted in our pre-teen years in New Hampshire. My family home on Lake Winnipesaukee's Governors Island was just a half mile from Jack's family summer place. For several years we'd gotten together each summer for swimming, fishing and water-skiing fun on that magnificent lake. It was truly amazing to me that we would meet and renew our friendship by meeting on that Texas air base flightline.