Ramos, Ysmael, AMCS

Best Friends
Just to say that I think often of this incident back in November 16, 1973 on a detachment with two C2s in Crete.  We had aircraft 25 and 21.  We had been there supporting the carriers in the Med.  One morning going to work after leaving the hotel downtown.  The detachment was to fly aircraft 25 to the Independence and aircraft 21 to Athens.  Our det Chief asked me if I wanted to go home on aircraft 25 which was scheduled  for maintenance and needed to go back to Naples, Italy.  I did not think of it long to say no because I did not want to go back to the hotel and get my belongings.  My counterpart Tom Murphy said he would go as he was a newly wed.  Just prior to this detachment we had gotten together at his home for dinner to meet the new bride.  So both flights leaving at the same time were on the runway.  Aircraft 25 took off first with 4 crewman and  passengers.  Aircraft 21 followed.  Then the unexpected the call from 25 that it was going down into the bay.  All passengers and one crewman lost their lives.  The pilot, co-pilot and the the plane captain survived.  The loadmaster Tom Murphy lost his life.  To this day I think of this and can not make ends to put aside.  Why?  The other part of this incident was that the night before we were out in town together with other shipmates from the detachment and this young man 18 years of age or so walking by himself came up to our group.  We chatted and then we took him into out group.  He had just come home from leave after basic and was reporting to the USS Independence.  Did not get a chance in life he was onboard aircraft 25.  Life is fragile in an instance.  May they rest in peace.