09/05/2026
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In 1968, Marines William โBillโ Cox and James โHollieโ Hollingsworth were sheltering together in a bunker in Vietnam as rockets flew around them. Unsure if they would survive the night, they made a promise. If they made it home, they would call each other every New Yearโs Eve for the rest of their lives.
They kept that promise for nearly five decades. Through marriages, careers, moves, and the many changes that come with life, Bill and Hollie stayed connected. Distance never erased the bond they formed during one of the most frightening periods of their lives.
In 2017, Hollie became terminally ill and asked Bill to do one final thing. He wanted his longtime friend to deliver his eulogy and stand guard over his casket. Bill was 83 years old, but he never hesitated. He traveled to be there for the man who had shared that bunker with him nearly 50 years earlier.
At the funeral, Bill wore his Marine Dress Blues and put aside his walking cane as he kept watch over Hollie. Their friendship had survived war, distance, decades, and the passing years. It showed that some promises become more meaningful with every year that passes. A friendship like theirs was never about simply remembering someone. It was about continuing to show up. ๐ฅน๐งก
