[AMRadio] Extra Class

[Don Cunningham]

Todd,
Funny story here on General and honestly true.  I, like many, had a good 
Elmer helping me with my learning the theory (first the US Navy, then an ET 
that wanted me to get licensed, hi) and the ET gave me the Novice exam.  I 
had learned Morse in the Navy, and surpassed 20 wpm easily, but that was 
with a typewriter.  I did fine by hand at 5 to 10 wpm it seemed, but 13 was 
VERY elusive.  My "elmer" suggested writing the Engineer in Charge at Dallas 
and ask if I could take it with my typewriter.

He honestly wrote back that there was NO reason I couldn't, as long as I 
brought my own typewriter.  I took his letter, the typewriter under the arm, 
and into the US Post Office I went in OKC for the test.  Until the examiner 
saw the letter, he was adamnant that there was no #$%** way I could use that 
thing, then he used some words I had forgotten from being a sailor, but 
allowed if "X", I don't remember his name, that he ould let me use it, but I 
had to wait till everyone else was finished.  Nerves built as the guys came 
out, heads down, failing, but he called me back in, I put on the phones, 
just listened for 30 seconds or so, then started typing.  In a few minutes, 
he tapped me on the shoulder and told me to quit.  I thinking I had failed, 
picked up the typewriter and started out.  He said, where you going, you 
typed perfectly when you started till I made you stop!!!  He started me on 
the key sending, and wouldn't let me send but a few seconds it seemed, and 
passed that too.  I sure wish I had kept the letter from that Engineer in 
Charge.

Some other time I'll tell you about getting that blamed typewriter back OUT 
of the post office building with security!!!!  By the way, I passed General, 
but missed Advanced by one question (I was dumb and hadn't studied Advanced, 
I didn't know you could take all the tests as long as you passed!!!).  Got 
that three months later, and quit taking tests.  Anyway, my General Class 
test was VERY memorable to me.
73,
Don, WB5HAK