This is a fine piece of writing, Mel.

Interesting coincidence: those five veterans points were a life-changer for me, too. I wanted to continue being an air traffic controller after my discharge in ‘78. Took the civil service exam in Portland, 25 miles down the coast from my final duty station at NAS Brunswick, Maine. Results came back weeks later: needed a high score to get into the FAA’s highly-sought-after New England region; didn’t come close. Went home to rural Michigan, re-took the exam to get into FAA’s Great Lakes region - and just barely made it, thanks to those five points.

Another intersection with your article: I turned my career into bilge water. (Three years later by participating in the Patco strike.)