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Whos Who
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Amateur Radio
Wells Chapin, WBGI
2775 Seminole Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
We have celebrities in our ranks . There
are many illustrious and glamoro us names in
the Call Boo k. Oddly enough, however, despite
th eir status in their various fields o f endeavor,
these well-known persons do not
constitute an aristocracy within our midst.
Far from it! For Amateur Radio , unlike
other forms of activity, exemp lifies true
Democracy . It cuts across class lines with
complete disregard for wealth, social standing,
nationality and creed.
Many of o ur colleagues possess names
which are universally recognized. and it is
high time that we acknowledged their presence
among us. At a point in time when we
hear constant warnin gs that our frequencies
are in jeopardy , we may help to preserve our
allocations by generating a progra m of beller
public relations. It is certain that we can use
a more positive image. And surely, publicizing
the names and achievements of our more
eminent and distinguished hams will tend to
enhance that image.
There are hams in medicine, law, sho w
business, the clergy, the military. Big Business,
Government, foreign royalty . and two
of us have even run for the highest o ffices in
our nation.
Not because of established protocol, but
because it seems a likely place to begin, here
are some hams with the "Blood Royal" in
their veins. P. T. Namgyal, King o f Sikkim,
operates from the Palace at Gangtok as
AC3PT. He has an American wife, who probably
complains about the u nsightly tower
and beams which disfigure the looks o f the
house, just as ours do . OE3AH is·Arc hduke
Ant on von Hapsburg, the Austrian pretender.
Moulay Hassan, CNBM II, is King o f Morocco.
In Saudi Arabia, where Ibn Saud , who was
probably the last of the absolute monarchs
in the world, operated as IIZITA, three o f
the Princes hold ham tickets. Crown Prince
Abd ullah is IIZI AF, Pri nce Talal uses the lat e
King's call, IIZl TA , and Prince Saud ibn Saud
was liZ155. So much for the blue bloods.
I wonder how many who have vi sited that
famous landmark in New Orlean s. Ant oine's.
realize that it is owned and operated by Roy
Alciatore, WS RV. Roy loves to OSL, and he
usually sends a commemorative Ma rd i Gras
medallion alo ng with his card.
Many DX'ers are fa miliar with the call,
VA l LO. Sad to say, this ham is no w a Silent
Key . He was the Soviet Unio n's in trepid
Cosmonaut, Yuri Gargarin. Incidentally . it is
being rumored that one of our o wn Astronaut
s. who is a ham. may operat e a rig o n a
forthcoming moon snot. It is said that the
operation will be o n the 144 Mliz band.
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