Rather attached to a beard myself. Grew my first one in 1964 after I got the OK from my squadron exec, but the squadron commander made me shave it as soon as my leave was over.

Grew it again in 1966, shaved it off for one day in 1968 (I was in a weddng party and the bride's mother told me it looked "dirty") and I've had it ever since. My wife has a fit if I threaten to shave it off — which I sometimes do because it's mostly white now and makes me look my age.

david