[Milsurplus] radios in SB2C

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

I did a search for SB2C in my old emails and found the message below.
>From that text, I believe we can safely say that at least SOME late
TBMs had "ART-13" installed even though nothing is said directly about
what was in the SB2Cs when Frank was flying in them.

Frank, AA7XA, was going to be 87 years old on 1 October last year! My
"Callbook" shows Frank W King to be in Otis, OR (Lincoln, County).

Somebody in that area might be able to look him up and get more info
regarding SB2C radio installations.

Frank's message was originally posted here on 8 Aug 09 by Hue Miller
(kargo_cult at msn.com).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 ~
~ (Since 30 Nov 53) ~
~ Oklahoma City, OK ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~



Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 17:45:03 -0700
From: "FRANK W KING" aa7xa at embarqmail.com
Subject: Re: [QRP-L] Interesting Old Code Course
To: "scott mcmullen"

I, also, am a WWII radio school graduate. I was in the Marine Corps and
right after boot camp, and mess duty at North Island NAS, San Diego, I
was sent to Texas A&M for 16 weeks of airborne radio operator school.
We had to pass 15 WPM code to pass, and we copied everything with a
stick at first, then a mill (a typewriter).

In its infinite wisdom the Corps sent me to a fighter squadron, that
had no need for radio operators, so it was working on gear, the old
ARC-5s, in the Grumman F4Fs in the battle for Guadalcanal.

After a few months in the hospital with malaria stateside, I was
assigned as a radio gunner in SBDs, the Douglas Dauntless dive bomber.

I also flew in the Curtis Helldiver, the SB2C, and ended up in a TBM
Avenger with VMTB 131 in the Okinawa campaign.

On Okinawa, in June 1945, we got new airplanes with the Collins ART-13
transmitter. It was heavenly. No more changing those monstrous tuning
coils when changing bands.

That was more that 60 years ago. I was 19 when I went in right after
Pearl Harbor, and on Oct. 1, I will be 87 years old.

Memories, memories.

73
Frank
AA7XA