ASHLAND, MA PEBMIT NO.7 - Quarter Century Wireless Association

James Bobinson, WADDD.
Grenada. One by one they became Silent
Keys, the last being Ralph Hasslinger,
W2CVF. Another from that time was Frank
Lester, W4AMJ, also one of our group on 15
and 20 meters SSB. Only two of the group
are left; Doug Campbell, W2ND, and myself.
James W. Robinson. W4DDD
James W Robinson was born in 1921 and
licensed Class C in 1933, Lived in small
town of St. Marys, GA. My father was
W4CWG and helped my brother and I learn
from those 1930s license manuals. Frrst
testing was done at home with a witness.
Class B testing was done in Jacksonville, FL
with a visiting FCC inspector, To take the
Class A exam we had to fly to Atlanta, GA
for testing. We had a Gross transmitter kit
for phone and CW which we wired at home.
Had 50 watts and a long wire antenna, Also
a one tube 47 xtal osc with about 3 watts
which was fun to work with. RX was a
Hammarlund,
Before WW2 I worked as a Signal Corps
civilian radio operator at Ft. Mac in Atlanta. I
enlisted in the Army Air Corps in June I942;
served two years as a radio mechanic and
then attended school for B months to be
commissioned as a Communications Officer
where I was assigned to AACS for the rest
of my enlistment. I was discharged in
September I945 after spending 9 months in
Greenland and then lceland working in the
AACS radio stations.
ln August 1948 I was back in the USAF
and sent to Japan assigned to a communi-
Quarter Century Wireless Assoclatlon
cations Squadron at Tachikawa
AFB until November 1951 when I
returned to the USA and was
assigned back into AACS at
MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL and
then assigned to Patrick AFB,
Cocoa Beach, FL for the remain-
ing time in service. I was dis-
charged in March 1953 and
enlisted in the Florida Air
National Guard as their
Communications officer where I
remained until September 1964
when I retired USAFR with the
rank of Major.
I maintained my ham license W4DDD until
1956 when I let it lapse. I was back into
hamming in March of 1991 as N5URE and
received my Extra Class license in
November of '1991 . I managed to receive
my first call W4DDD as a vanity call in
1 996.
I work 100% CW mostly on bands 40, 30,
20. I keep records of my qsos using
Buckmaster Ham Call and their logging program
plus still maintain a 3 x 5 card file of
all contacts since 1991 ,
I still send code using a MFJ 4228 elec-
tronic keyer using manual dashes and auto
dots; never could master the automatic
dashes as I used a vibroplex keyer for years.
I have a Keyboard in case I find it difficult to
send code using my keyer. I am currently
age 87 and think the code keeps me going.
I am on 40 meters most mornings between
7:30am and 9:00am.
Receiving a 75-Year QCWA plaque is
something I am really proud of and sent a
picture of it to a number of hams I know
plus a lot of other family and friends.
Robert Wessel. Jr.. K4PR
I was born in Kansas City. M0, where my
parents (from Germany) settled. My early
memory of radio was a crystal set used to
listen to AM programs from WDAF. My calls,
over the years, have included: W9SNZ,
W0SNZ, WZZBP, and now, for many years,
K4PR.
My younger brother, Kenneth, and I were
both involved with communications during
WWll. I was in the Signal Corps in Europe as
a Tech Sgt. We had the mission to provide
communications for General Eisenhower to
his foruvard generals through a network of
numerous Motorola radio systems. They
never failed or broke down. Kenneth was
later sent to Japan where he sent communi-
cations back and forth to the USA using a
high-powered transmitter our forces had set
up.
Some highlights from my WWll experi-
ences include: being in Gibraltar Straits,
which opened into the Mediterranean Sea;
going to Sicily and being treated with qui-
nine for a case of malaria fever in a very
orderly British hospital; knocking down an
Italian man with my jeep, then going to his
hospital the next day to see about his safety
and condition. 0ur Signal team stayed in a
big castle and I remember how happy I was
on a Sunday hearing a baseball game sent
our way from the USA! We stayed overseas
nearly four years. When I came back to the
US, I met my wife, May Ruth, in Knoxville,
TN.
Music is a natural talent and interest for
me. I also was a teacher in the Metro
Nashville Schools for grades 5 and 6. For
years, I opened the school year playing
"School Days" 0n the school organ. I've also
played piano and organ for various local
activities and nineteen local churches. My
time is spent writing waltzes and marches.
My ham station is in the basement along
with my keyboard and computer.
Congratulations to all of the Award
winners! Please see the individual
Chapter Reports for photos and information
on other winners!