I had the pleasure of being part of Dr. Bill Patrick's R&D team that was deeply involved in research on the biogeochemistry of wetland soils, flooded soils and sediments. I served as a full time Research Associate from June 1969 until March 1973 and completed a PhD, on a part-time basis, on the “Oxidation and Reduction Reactions of Sulfate and Sulfide in Flooded and Non-Flooded Soils.” I also completed minors in nuclear science and microbiology. Bill was a “World Class” scientist conducting “cutting edge” research on the biogeochemistry of flooded and non-flooded soils and on sediments. It was a rare privilege to have been part of his team. Bill was not only a world-renowned scientist/researcher; he was a teacher, mentor and friend. I left his laboratory fully technically prepared to conduct environmental research on dredged material for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Waterways Experiment Station that eventually led to my current position of Senior Scientist (Environmental) and Technical Director, Civil Works R&D, for the Corps and senior advisor to Corps Headquarters, State Department, and U.N. offices. Bill's mentoring prepared me for serious Washington level interagency negotiations, development of environmental rules and regulations, Congressional hearings, U.N. Treaty negotiations, and controversial litigation as an expert witness. Technically dredged sediments are not vastly different from wetland and flooded soils, the main exception is the large anthropogenic inputs in typical harbor sediments and their biogeochemical interactions. The story starts with life after graduate school and how the science and interpersonal skills I learned from Bill were applied in my new job