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This group of friends has played tennis nearly every week for almost 50 years

These four friends have stayed active and healthy through a half-century of tennis.

AUSTIN, Texas — Tennis is one of America's most popular sports. The U.S. Tennis Association says more than 23 million Americans take a swing at it each year. 

And sometimes, the sport serves as a means of connection.

Twice a week, nearly every week, for almost 50 years, this group of four friends have gotten together at Westlake Country Club for a friendly tennis match.

Dr. Mike O'Brien is a longtime pathologist. 

"This is a pretty fast crowd I run with here," he joked.

At 89 years old, he's the kid of the group. 

"The baby!" said Richard Baughn, who is 100 years old. "Junior."

Baughn jokes that the group is all "older than dirt but still above it" and calls himself "Geezer 1."

"Geezer 2 [is] Ed Edenburg," Baughn said. "He's coming up on 96." 

"Geezer 1" and "Geezer 2" go back the longest.

"Ed and I were fighter pilots together," Baughn said. "Seventy-two years ago, we started." 

The pair were World War II fighter pilots. Baughn stayed in the service and retired as a general.

Credit: United State Air Force
Air Force General Richard Baughn in uniform

The tennis group also includes Maury Stern, who is 93.

"Come on, Maury, you're on candid camera," Baughn joked.

Between the four of them, there are 378 years' worth of stories. 

"I hope that's just water in there," O'Brien said to Baughn as he took a drink during a break. "No 'Kicakpoo Juice' in there?"

Tennis is great for physical health, and studies show it can add nearly 10 years to your life. 

Baughn joked that that's good because "we don't really each much healthy food ... we eat preservatives."

Credit: KVUE
The crew took time after tennis to warm up with a coffee and memories

The sport is also imperative for the men's mental health. 

"It's great therapy for old people," Baughn said. "Especially people my age. I just lost my wife about three years ago, and tennis helped."

The court is not exactly a psychologist's couch, though. 

"We normally don't have much conversation because we can't hear," Baughn joked. 

But maybe laughter is better. And there is plenty of that to go around. 

"You know," O'Brien said, "this series would be great to show at nap time. People always say they can't get to sleep. Put something like this on, and [they're out]." 

"It might entertain a nursing home," Baughn said.

Before the guys got back to their lives, KVUE had to ask them their thoughts on tennis' cousin, pickleball.

It's something the general said he's not ready for just yet. 

"Well," Baughn said as he thought it over, "maybe when I get a little older, I might."

Baughn wrote a book about his experience as a 19-year-old fighter pilot. It's called "The Hellish Vortex," and you can check it out here if you're interested.

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