I started flying in the 60's with F/E's & Nav's; loved it! Nav's were engineered out with INS, FMC, GPS, etc. Sad to see them go! I became an F/E in the 70's when I went from the military to my airline job; the F/E has also been engineered out. Sorry to see F/E's go! BUT... Economics being what it is, that's life. I also know railroads; union contracts kept firemen onboard well after their useful life had gone; they didn't go and, due to their presence & other uneconomic practices, the railroads DIED!
Gentlemen & Gentleladies: I honor & respect the Engineer, & the Nav, & the Radio Operator (& the 2nd engineer, to crawl out into the wing when oil had to be added in flight & to scan during engine start). I have wonderful memories & stories of many of these people, and examples of their invaluable presence when the s**t hit the fan, on the older aircraft. However, for better or worse, with the new aircraft, it's a new, and in many ways sadder, day.