A set of coincidences has led to two old school friends being re-united after more than 60 years.
Noel Williams and Arthur Fry, both 83, were friends and in the same class at Cavendish Road Intermediate and High School in Brisbane in the 1950s but lost touch a few years later when Arthur joined the Air Force.
Arthur’s sister, Ellen, started nursing at Princess Alexandra Hospital in 1960 and invited some of Arthur’s friends over to the hospital to meet a few of the young nurses, some of whom were from the country and didn’t know anyone in Brisbane.
That occurred on 3 November 1960 and Ellen lined up a number of girls outside the nurses’ quarters and introduced everyone. Noel was attracted to Maxina Kirwan from Biloela. They subsequently married and recently celebrated their 60 th anniversary. By coincidence, Arthur and his wife, Annette, have also been married for 60 years.
Now switch to Vietnam when, during the war, our soldiers started teaching English to high school students in a village. One of those students was Thai Dang. He and his wife, Diamond, migrated to Australia some years ago and now live in Bellflower Retirement Village at Sippy Downs directly opposite Noel and Maxina.
Thai is forever grateful for what Australia has given him and he and Diamond are active members of the Sunshine Coast Vietnam Veterans Association. Thai has written a book about his life and he showed Noel and Maxina a copy of the Association’s newsletter “Ricochet” which contained an article about it.
Noel noticed something else in the newsletter which caught his eye – the Association’s honorary chaplain was Arthur Fry. He felt that there could be only one Arthur Fry and he asked Thai to get him Arthur’s phone number.
This has resulted in a reunion between the two old friends and the resumption of a long lost friendship which now includes Maxina and Annette – all as a result of the goodwill of some Australian soldiers.
