Finding an old Army Buddy

(1 of 2) THEN -- My Army buddy Vern Friedli. He was a pitcher with the Fort Huachuca baseball team. Seen here in 1956.
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I mentioned Vern Friedli briefly in the chapter about my Army days. We met at the Army Signal School at Fort Monmouth ... studied radar there ... and served together in the 68th Signal Company at Fort Huachuca. He was my closest buddy in that period. Vern had an easygoing personality. He also had worked for a radio station in northern California before entering the service so we shared a knowledge and interest in broadcasting in common.

He also had a love of jazz and he introduced me to that form of music. I enjoyed classical music already and found the leap to appreciating jazz --- especially modern jazz of the 1950's --- was an easy one.

I lost track of Vern after leaving the Army and perhaps would never have located him except for the Internet. While writing "Grandpa Charlie's Journey", I found myself wondering what had happened to him. A search of the Internet revealed he had gone to the University of Arizona after he left the Army. He married a young lady from Tucson and began a family and a very successful career in Arizona as a high school coach --- baseball and football.

He and his wife Sharon live in Tucson and at the time I write this Vern is still an active coach there.

We now exchange e-mail and we are hoping to visit them sometime.