I got off the Parsons in October of 1973 after spending two years on her. I left as a BM3, and after two more years in the reserves, I left the Navy as a BM2. I returned to Austin, TX, where I had grown up, and went into the family import business. With the exception of an 18-month sojourn into motorcycle journalism (National Director of the Rider Magazine Touring Club), I stayed in the import sales business untill 1992. I traveled all over the U.S. and Western Europe on business. Never really got to travel for pleasure, with the exception of motorcycle trips across the U.S. and into Mexico.  After we closed the import business, I needed to change careers because there was no future in the gift business. In that I had traveled all my life, and am a salesman by nature, I decided to sell travel. I am now working for AAA Travel (The Auto Club) as a travel agent.

I did not get married until 1999, and became an instant grandfather when I did. I got the best of both worlds: two grown daughters and grandkids we can send back to their parents when it becomes overwhelming. Kitti and I live on six acres in Henly, TX, an outpost so tiny that we do not rate a post office so our mailing address is in Dripping Springs. We are about 30 miles from Austin; not too bad of a commute into work.

We are looking forward to renewing some old friendships and making new ones. I got into the Parsons' history because I was trying to put together some info on our cruises in '72 and '73. I was running into a blank wall because all the info I was coming up with ended in 1970. It was as if we did not exist after 1970. So I am now the ship's historian and will try to put it together. Mike Long has come up with some cruise books from 1971 and 1972-73. I believe Mike Jones got them to him. I had not seen them and it was great reliving some old memories. I believe that Mike's Wife Beth Long is trying to copy them to CD so we can make copies for our use. If you have any interesting anecdotes that you would like to add to our history, just get in touch with me at willf@texas.net and I will try my best to incorporate these into our history. Joggle your memory.