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K4WJ John J. Bohnovic Trenton, FL QCWA # 18893 |
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My father gave me a crystal radio set for Christmas when I was about 12 years old. I heard some guys talking and one said he was in Aurora, Ohio. (I lived in Cleveland at the time.) My father told me that they were probably 'hams.'
A friend of mine, George Lewis, W8GQX, administered the novice test and KN8PXG was effective June 18, 1959. I upgraded to General Class effective December 30, 1959. I took the extra class test when I lived in Warren, MI in 1975. My motivation to take the test was that I wanted to work the guys that seldom operated above 7.025 mHz.
When my novice ticket arrived I wanted to upgrade to General Class so that I could use A.M. I had no desire to operate CW. However, that changed once I got on the air and my code speed began to increase. Besides, I couldn't afford AM/SSB equipment.
In April, 1963 I reported to the USS Hazelwood, DD-531 and served as a Radioman. Her CW callsign was NAVJ. The voice callsign was Golden Moon. The Hazelwood was decommissioned in April, 1965 and I was then assigned to the USS Randolph, CVS-15. Her call was NWBD.
My wife, Susan and me at a USS Hazelwood reunion in Norfolk, VA in April, 2015
July 30, 2016