[Fists] Another Goofy Idea to Ponder

[Stanley Wernick]

Hi Fists:
I am always coming up with goofy ideas, so I know you aren't surprised
if I throw another one on the table for you all to consider.
Last night, I had a QSO on 40 meters and it was with W0HY in Lawrence,
Kansas. We had a long ragchew and I found that he got his license in
1922 and has been on CW since then. He used his old straight key and
was wonderful. He had some great stories to tell and it was facinating.
I got to thiking. Many of these treasures of information are fast 
becoming silent keys and we are missing the great stories they have
to tell about the beginnings if ham radio and the days when a contact
via spark was a thrill. There  are others such as our own FISTS member,
Lea AB5TY, number 1563 from deep in the heart of Texas. This great lady
was a professional railroad telegraph operator during WW II, when there
were no men available to send CW so they hired women and she was one of
them. She has some wonderful stories to tell. Why can't we capture some
of these and put them in the Keynote each month? I, for one would love
to read them and learn and feel the nostalgia. I really think our young
members would also love to read about our roots in CW. I also believe
that there are stories to be told down under and maybe Ralph ZL2AOH
could get those and share them as well as Tom DL1CQ. My old friend
Clif, N2FX, an original FISTS member, died and we lost a great story
about CW back during the war in the submarines. I would like to see an 
effort made for members to go see these people and just sit with them 
and take down the history of their lives and share them with the rest of 
us. I will volunteer to travel anywhere in New Mexico to find someone
who fits the profile and get their story.
What do you all think???? I am very interested to see opinions other
than my own, hi hi.
(Hope Nancy likes the idea)
73's de Stan W5ZF #6183