[Qcwa] MARS in the 50s

[Gerd Schrick]

Chuck Gauder, W8XG, was MARS Director at Wright Patterson AFB. Ohio in the 
late 50s. Here is a "tidbit" of his very interesting write up (from 1998 on 
the Web) of "K8AIR":

"..........The WP MARS organization had an extensive surplus distribution 
system in operation. A warehouse in Area A provided over 5000 square feet 
of space for this equipment which was obtained from the Material 
Redistribution office of both Wright-Patterson and the Gentile AF depot. 
The only restriction placed on the MARS members receiving this surplus 
equipment was that it must be for personal use. If the material was of no 
use to the member, it had to be returned to the MARS warehouse but could 
not be given away or sold. One interesting anecdote to the surplus material 
side of the MARS operation comes to mind. A full Colonel member of the MARS 
club lived in a rather large house on base and was a prolific user of the 
surplus material program. One day the Base MARS Director was visited by the 
Colonel's wife who pleaded to have their basement rid of all the material 
her husband had accumulated. So a crew of airmen were sent to the home and 
removed 2 truck loads of radio equipment. As they left the house, the 
Colonel was leaving the warehouse with yet another batch of equipment. This 
shuffle continued for another 8 months before he was transferred to another 
base. It was doubtful whether he ever knew what was happening................."

Have a good weekend

Vy 73,  Gerd, WB8IFM in Dayton, OH.