Ham radio spawns forever friendships!

 

I am sharing this with you to illustrate the subject of this message. I
first met Rick Hamilton, WB5VQW, in 1974, some 41 years ago. We met when I
joined the ham radio club in Arlington Texas. I was a new, Assistant
Professor on the faculty of the University of Texas at Arlington, and at
that time, the club was holding their meetings right there on the UT
Arlington's campus. Rick and I hit it off immediately. He was one of those
military brats, as they often refer to themselves, that had traveled all
over the world and been exposed to the best of humanity and to the worse.
So, unlike many people, Rick was not even slightly hesitant to come right
over to me and introduce himself and strike up a vigorous conversation,
asking about my rig, how I was able to tune my transmitter, etc., etc. That
was the beginning of a long and mutually rewarding friendship. We
participated in hidden transmitter hunts together, fiend day events
together, put up antennas, went fishing together, and even accidentally
blew-up a few pieces of ham gear together. Rick worked in the Vought
division of the Ling-Temeo- Vought Aerospace Corp. (LTV), in the daytime and
attended the university at night. So, he even ended up taking my Basic
Marketing course, and every night after class, he and another ham buddy who
was also in my course, went out for coffee and talked ham radio. 

 

This weekend Rick and his wife, Karen, WB5UFM, traveled up here to Bowling
Green Kentucky in their RV to visit on their way to the FMCA Amateur Radio
Club's Rallies/Campout being held just north of here in Cave City Kentucky.
Our visit started Friday afternoon when they arrived and got setup in our
local KOA Campground, and yesterday we took them over to show them our new
house and then, down to the L&M Train Station where they have a special
exhibit for Mother's Day weekend. We enjoyed a guided tour through one of
the old, original steam engine trains and saw numerous model train sets that
were fully operational and on display. After a full day of touring the area
and visiting, we finally wrapped it up late last night. Today, Rick and
Karen are heading up to the FMCA Amateur Radio Club', and Palma and I are
back to packing and preparing for our big move even though it is Mother's
Day. Our new house is going to have to serve as our Mother's Day, Father's
Day, Christmas, and birth day gifts for the rest of our lives!! <lol>   

 

I suspect many of you have enjoyed similar friendships as a result of ham
radio.

 

Ron, K8HSY

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald E. Milliman

Retired Professor of Marketing