PALS RENEW FRIENDSHIP DOWN UNDER

SCOTT CITY -- A chance meeting "down under" has given two former high school classmates the opportunity to renew their friendship.

Air Force Capt. Jack R. King and Marine Capt. Mark Goodman, former classmates at Scott City High School, met recently during a flying exercise in Australia. Both are pilots.

"We're stationed a world apart," said King, a 1979 high school graduate who attended Southeast Missouri State University. "I'm a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Okinawa, Japan, and Mark is stationed in North Carolina with the Marines."

Goodman, a 1981 graduate of Scott City High School, is a pilot in the Marine Corps, stationed at Cherry Point, N.C. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri.

"We were participating in the `Aces North 1992' flying exercises at Darwin, Australia," said King, who flies a KC-135R Stratotanker with the Fighting 909th of Kadena Air Base at Okinawa. Goodman flies a EA-6B Prowler with the VMAQ-1 Death Angels of Cherry Point.

"We were really surprised when we ran into each other at Avalon, Melbourne, Australia on Oct. 25, 1992," said King.

"The boys knew each other in high school," said King's mother, Lourine.

King has been in the Air Force six years, and recently re-enlisted.

"He loves to fly," added Mrs. King. "He loves his job in the Air Force, and says he still has some things he wants to see."

King worked as a Certified Public Accountant before enlisting in the service."