Comments

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  Richard Fitch February 17, 2021 at 1:33pm

  Hi Ken, thanks for the email. You mentioned a few names who I knew to some degree..ie. Terry Maddy, Terry Birch,and Dave Yarvi. I knew Frankie Strange and wife wife Linda fairly well back in the day. He lived in Lawton OK, not far from Geronimos Grave. I did a goole search a few years ago only to find his obit..
  I knew Frankie Miller quite well....He bought a brand new Chevy Super Sport about a month before we left for the Med. Back in the Day he was from Toledo OH area. I rented a house with Paul Hill in Albany. Harrison Ark. I called him in the 90s and suprised the hell out of him. One night on Jeopardy there was a contested from Harrison..reminded me of Paul...so..I google him...another obit. ugh. I was also close with Dave Matz, AT, he lives in Ashland OH with his wife and has two grown kids. I did get together with him a couple of times in the 90s.
  Some of the guys that I worked with at RVAH9; Paul Malachoski AMH, Stan Markowski. , Ed Michalek ATR2, Bill Belleville Photo, Cheif Henry Crocker., James Ragland, Brian Cleary, Larry Holder. ,Frank X Griffin from Boston, Mike Hirshenson from NYC, Bill Flurey, Bill Bellis and Ron Kunzleman Philli area.
  
  My wife and I were in Bradenton a couple of years ago. Just for the day....we had a nice lunch at a marina on the north side of the harbor, not far from the bridges. Saw some dolphin and tons of Pellicans. We have some old friends in St Pete, just over the big bridge on the west side by beach.
  
  Well, I got to go. Keep in touch. It has been fun shaking the cob webs out of my head and thinking back to a time in my life that seems so long ago.
  
  Stay healthy....get your shots and stay out of trouble.
  
  Regards
  Rick
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  Richard Fitch February 1, 2021 at 11:40am

  Hi "Bass", (nobody ever used the their first name), Thanks for reaching out. I found your picture in the Saratoga cruise book and I do remember you. You were standing in the front row, 4th to the right. i will post the group shot when i figure it out. After receiving your message, my brain has working overtime trying to remember the Heavy Nine days. I was able to remember the bar outside of the base..Morrisons ? I have a bunch of old pictures, some old Sanford NAS news papers and info collected from ports that we visited. I live up in Windsor , Ct. It would be fun to catch up. raf0513@aol.com, tel 860-748-9253.
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  John Attanasio January 31, 2020 at 7:49pm

  Hello Ken,

  Welcome aboard.

  Hoot Hoot

  John VAH-9