151 a world war ii veteran cried today as he said goodbye to his buddy a 3yearold boy who became his pal but is moving away with this family its going to be tough erling kindem 89 said between tears while speaking to abc news today kindems friendship with his next door neighbor emmett rychner 3 in farmington minnesota became a heartwarming story that went viral but the boy is moving today to northfield minnesota and the veteran is moving with his ailing wife to a retirement center next month read more 89yearold wwii vet forms unlikely friendship with 3yearold read more 89yearold wwii vet speaks about favorite moments with 3yearold pal erling left and emmett doing some yard work outside courtesy anika rychner he was in my yard yesterday and i asked him emmett you are moving pretty soon right kindem told abc news and he said yeah we wont be seeing each other again it made me cry his parents have packed everything in a trailer and they are moving today kindem said kindems retirement community will be 30 miles away from emmetts new home emmett left and erling biking together near the house courtesy anika rychner kindem had little interaction with his neighbor bryan and anika rychner for nearly a decade at most theyd exchange a smile or a wave in passing things took a change last year when emmett struck up an unlikely friendship with kindem over tomatoes since then kindem has taught emmett how to fix a bike and throw a baseball while kindem has a green riding mower for his lawn emmett has a toy mower also green the hung out together every day kindem said his children kept pushing him to move to the retirement center because there is a clinic just around the corner and a hospital within a mile my wife is very sick kindem said i might be taking her to the emergency today our health has to come first kindem said my wife had a bypass surgery in february and she had two stents put in her heart emmett left erling and the familys daughter resting on the yard courtesy anika rychner kindem said his 94yearold wife is on plavix and doctors cant do anything for her for another six months well be moving by sept 15 kindem said when we have an auction well sell many things in our house and our van we raised five kids here kindem said kindem said he would be going to emmetts birthday party in october ever since emmett started coming over his dad opened up to me too kindem said it will be toughthe rychner family could not be immediately reached by abc news