We met through a veterans  internet club called Boondockers Poetic Justice. Shared laughs and tears as we wrote down our experiences of war. Both are Vietnam Veterans. Tony who hails from Australia and Boon from the United States. Both have wives who have seen them through some rough times and soothed more than just one war torn moment in our lives. 

An unusual bond had taken place. We wrote as though we were spiritually linked. It would not be unusual to have written  a piece only to find that one of us had also written a similar piece of poetry which would in every way, shape or  form tie into one another's thoughts.  Strange it may be but thousands of miles made no difference in the grand scheme of things and a rare friendship grew beyond the miles .

It started out as a dream of Tony's that some day The Bushranger and Boondocker would meet face to face and, by the Grace of God just after the tragedy of 9-11  and approximately two years after we met through the internet Tony and his lovely wife Maria flew to the United States. After a 23 hour flight from Australia Tony then boarded yet another  plane in Las Vegas and flew another four hours to the  small New England town of Manchester, New Hampshire, with complete faith that this old Boondocker would meet him at the airport. It just so happened that Nancy and I  both were waiting  anxiously to meet him. The moment we saw Tony we Both knew this would be a life changing experience. A new friendship that cannot be expressed with mere words was born. We spent three days together and packed a lifetime of experiences into those few short days. 

The friendship continues. 

Some say internet meetings mean nothing and are not real, But I'm here to tell you they are. Here is the proof of trust and friendship that denies any Nay-Sayers words of skepticism, all it takes is faith and the will to believe. Tony my mate may you and yours find peace until we meet again my Brother.

Semper Fidelis,

Boon