[OKDXA] A Holiday Greeting

[Jerry Chouinard via OKDXA]

Fellow Ham Radio Operators and Dear friends, yes even you guys in the Great State of Texas where my heart and daily thoughts of my childhood and first 35 years still reside. 

What follows are my warm and heartfelt wishes for you and your families for and during this Holiday Season and coming New Year.
Greetings and Happy Holidays from my radio shack to yours. Many years have passed now. My 70th will begin in January of this next year. 56 years of participating in the greatest hobby ever devised as a past time by the human race, bar none. I have had the privilege of being part of it now since I was a boy of 14 in high school. I have made fast and dear friends all over the world and had the honor of shaking the hands and hugging them at my first ever visit to the Dayton Hamvention, the WRTC event and ARRL Headquarters celebration of the 100th year of ARRL's founding by W1AW Hiram Percy Maxim. I had seen only pictures of the ARRL building and grounds in QST starting with my first issue in August 1959, the month and year I got my papers from the FCC. I had a mentor Harry Moore, W5BXV who loved to work 40 meter nets on weekends talking with and catching up on the health and well being of his fellow ham operators gathered over his 40 plus years of ham radio. He was a perfect example of a person who would hold out his hand if you stumbled, and would make sure you were comfortable He always taught me something new about radio every time I saw him. Harry became a Silent Key in 2003 at 86 years old but was still checking in to the 40 meter nets every Saturday and Sunday morning. Harry along with Ken Adams K5KA are maybe the two Silent Keys I miss the most. Both were hard working, dedicated family men who could light up the airways with anything that transmitted. Ken Adams was known worldwide by top operators and often had them stop in to operate in his favorite contest the North American QSO Party, a 12 hour intense event that brought out the best operators. I had the honor and privilege to be asked many times by Ken to come join him and his crew to participate in those biyearly contests. We always had a celebration afterwards even though it was well after midnight on Saturday night in Oklahoma. We all enjoyed him and his XYLs unique and thoughtful preparations, trays of energy snacks like chocolate chip cookies, two kinds of grapes and something with sliced Jalapeno peppers decorating cheese on a cracker. Pizza and all the Coronas a fellow could down were always on hand to celebrate what was likely another top multi-operator winning NAQP score. I miss his enthusiasm, his hard work and his love and dedication to our hobby as many do around the world. So at this time of year I always, as all of you do, recall the best times and the best people in our lives. I want to pass along my thanks to each of you for the QSOs we had in 2014 and the ones we have had over my five decades in our beloved hobby and also thanks for your hospitality shown me for many years by people all over the world. Strangers who became the best of friends sharing what we call Amateur "Ham" Radio. 

I have spent many holiday seasons in the warmth of ham shacks in Dallas, Texas, Memphis, TN, Spring Valley, MD, Argentia Newfoundland, Keflavik Iceland and Jefferson City, Missouri. There was always a top notch radio setup for my use and pleasure. I had the once in a lifetime opportunity and distinct pleasure of sitting in the old Hiram Maxims radio shack operating the headquarters station W100AW for three hours running Europeans for most of the three hours this past July. The best three hours of my ham radio lifetime. The World Radio Team Championship gave me the opportunity to meet, shake the hands of and hug people I have been talking to over fifty years. Dear friends all of them with peace and goodwill in common among each of us. Half of the DXCC 100 world was represented at that the WRTC event where many hard working and technically competent New England hams went many extra miles to insure all visitors, competitors and referees were welcomed and comfortable during their visit and preparation for the premier ham radio contesting event in the world. What a beautiful 5 days in New England and what energy was exhibited by all the participants. I drove my mobile station from Oklahoma just to say I was there. Perfect weather and the schedule of events went off without a hitch. I met newcomers and many old timers who had longer, more successful stories than me about our great hobby. We had a terrific IARU contest to test our skills and radio setups. I had the honor of having the Chairman of the WRTC, Doug Grant K1DG make mention of my presence in New England operating from my mobile that I drove from Oklahoma just for the two weeks of amateur radio showcasing. Said during the introduction of the Contest University Forum at ARRL Convention headquarters I responded with "My honor and pleasure Doug a great event!" The IARU contest was excellent making 999 QSOs mostly on CW and a large number of easy to work Europeans. The 24 straight hours I spent in my mobile van went by in what seemed like 24 minutes. I was surprisingly refreshed by the New England morning air on Sunday and was ready to go another straight 24 hours. 40 meter signals from Europe sounded like locals - what a terrific experience, one which I had not had since my years in Navy Air flying as a 19 year old flight radioman on Super Constellations over the grey, dark and frigid North Atlantic watching for and reporting via CW exclusively, the movements of aircraft from over the North Pole. The Russians had a habit of carrying supplies to Cuba in those days and also would stiffen if approached but fortunately they joined the world's peaceful people and now buy factory made radio gear now. None of that chirpy sounding signalling stuff like was common in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Some of the best radio operators in the world the Russian people, it is my pleasure to talk to many of them. Russians were always present on the air when I fired up as K5YAA/AM. Endless piles of stations kept me busy between Zulu (priority) messages. Those were the days of home brew, World War Two military surplus transmitters and receivers. Those were the days of my boyhood. We had this world by it's tail and never let go. The best times of prosperity and peace that has ever been lived in this world.

I have a long and interesting story about my ham radio hobby as most of you do. I hope, a favorite word of mine hope, that we all are blessed with many more years to enjoy our beloved hobby. I look forward to another 50,000 QSOs next year and several hundred thousand contacts before I make a visit to the big ham shack in the sky. I have been blessed to have been part of a hobby that has only kindness , hospitality and lasting friendships to offer. If all the hobbies in the world offered what each of us take as common place what a world it would be. 

Now my wishes to each of you and thanks again for the friendship and kindness shown me all these years. Look for me to be on daily as I test new technology and upgrade the station I have at home. Larger antennas and twenty first century radios are being put in place now. I will race each of you to the finish line of life. This next year, the Fall of my life, I will celebrate 50 years of marriage to probably the best woman in the world. Carol and I were high school sweethearts and wrote daily letters when I was in the Navy. A wonderful woman, the same kind most of you have had at your side during both lean and prosperous years. She has been my guardian angel for these 50 past years, my wealth builder and my greatest supporter. My two Sons are technology wizards having played on one of the very first video games, the Atari for hours on end and growing up during the advent of the first personal computers. I will say again I am a blessed man having lived a peaceful and productive life. Here's to more radio time in the warmth of a radio room.

My very best Greetings and Wishes for the Holiday Season. Let's keep ham radio on top of the list of good things in this world in 2015 and for years to come. The original Facebook it is, as I said many times, the greatest hobby ever devised by man to pass his leisure time. It spawned not only my life's work but many thousands of us around the country and the world. It has a place in our hearts forever. 

My Best 73 to each of you my friends and here is my favorite word of all time - Onward!

Come join me add to our ranks these next several years. The world needs us to stabilize a growing unrest among it's people.

Jerry K5YAA

My Christmas decoration for you is a wreath decorated and hanging by the Welcome sign on on my front porch. I didn't put up my 60 foot tall lighted Christmas Tree this year on tower #1 so this wreath will have to do. 

For now and until the bands open Cheers, Ciao, Au Revoir, Adios Amigo and until we meet again. 

Jerry one of your best friends.