FAMOUS RADIO AMATEURS

© 2006 by T. J. "Skip" Arey N2EI
Originally Published in Monitoring Times July 2002

As most folks come to know soon after getting their Amateur Radio License, the folks that populate the ham frequencies are a wide a varied bunch. During any given session you can talk to people of all walks of life. So it shouldn’t be too surprising when I tell you that quite a number of newsworthy, noteworthy, famous and even infamous folks have been heard in the wonderful world of amateur radio. It is possible to talk to kings, astronauts, authors, entertainers, leaders of industry and many other interesting and amazing people who sit down to play radio just like the rest of us.
It took a while but Old Uncle Skip did some digging and came up with some very interesting notable people who are (or have been) hams. Sadly, some are now “Silent Key” but don’t be surprised if you hear some of the other callsigns I tracked down as you tune across the ham bands. Amateur radio is a great hobby that provides fun and relaxation for some very interesting people.

THE PATRON SAINT OF AMATEUR RADIO
Franciscan Priest Maximilian Maria Kolbe was licensed as SP3RN in his native Poland. During the Second World War his friary served as a refuge for over 4500 Poles and Jews. He was captured by the Nazi’s in 1941 and executed. He was Canonized in 1982. While the Catholic Church officially recognizes Kolbe as the Patron Saint of Political Prisoners, many hams around the world also view him as the Patron Saint of Amateur Radio.

RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY HAMS?
Most folks remember the little red headed girl and boy rag dolls with the candy kiss hearts from their childhood. The Raggedy Ann and Andy stories have been circulated around the world in dozens of languages. They remain as popular today as they did when Johnny Gruelle first authored them so long ago. Many of the Raggedy Ann and Andy books were illustrated by Johnny’s son, Worth Gruelle, who was also known to the world by his amateur radio callsign W4ZG.

SF AMATEUR
I’ve often wondered why more Science Fiction authors were not hams. I know many current authors are serious computers “geeks”. But maybe the one callsign I did track down makes up for all the others. John Campell, the late editor of Astounding and Analog Science Fiction Magazines, was an active amateur radio operator under the callsign W2ZGU. Campell was the mentor to many of the greatest names in Science Fiction such as Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov. No doubt his sound technical grounding (that included radio) was what made it possible for him to be the father of what we know today as “hard” Science Fiction.

NOBEL HAM
Probably the greatest achievement in the world of science is to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize. Dr. Joseph H. Taylor is the James McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics at Princeton University. In 1993, Taylor, along with Dr. Russell A. Hulse won the Nobel Prize for Physics for their discovery of a binary pulsar. The award was for physics instead of astrophysics because of the basic information into gravity that their discovery provided. Is it any wonder that a man who can track distant intergalactic radio signals might be an amateur radio operator. Dr. Taylor’s callsign is K1JT.

AMATEUR ADVENTURE
Many hams travel the world right from their operating desks. Racking up countries on the DXCC list. But a few hams have also become world famous “actual” globe trotters.
Thor Heyerdahl thrilled the world with his Kon Tiki raft expedition in 1947 and his later Ra II expedition in 1970. Most men my age read of his exploits and dreamed to traveling to distant places in search of adventure. Heyerdahl was also a ham. His call was LI2B.
And while we are on the subject of globe trotting, how about flying around the world non-stop? In 1986 Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager flew their Voyager aircraft around the world on one fuel load, non-stop. Rutan is also known for some of the most innovative aircraft designs ever flown. Dick’s callsign is KB6LQS and Jeana’s callsign is KB6LQR.

AMATUER ASTRONAUTS
Hams have been involved in the aerospace movement since the early 1960’s with the OSCAR satellite program. However, the entire amateur radio community looked forward to the day when a person traveling in space would communicate with hams back on earth. This was realized in November 1983 when Owen Garriot W5LFL operated during the STS-9/Spacelab-1 mission. Since his operation, dozens of men and women have been licensed and have operated amateur radio stations from space. Various NASA Shuttles and the Russian MIR space station have hosted ham radio operations. The International Space Station (ISS) includes regular ham communications throughout its mission. The Space Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) has allowed over 200 schools the opportunity to talk with astronauts in space to date and many more missions are planned!
But no commentary on amateurs in space would be complete without mentioning that the first human being in space, Yuri Gagarin who flew Vostok I on April 12, 1961 was an avid ham radio operator with the callsign of UA1LO. While he never had the opportunity to participate in ham radio from space, I am told he was often heard on 20 meter CW before his death in an aircraft accident in 1968.

MILTARY HAMS
Amateur radio and the military have always had a close relationship. The Military Amateur Radio System (MARS) has handled message traffic between military personnel and their loved ones for many years. It’s not too surprising that there have been a few notable hams that have risen to the higher ranks of the armed forces.
Brigadier General Paul W. Tibbets Jr. who piloted the Enola Gay flew the first atomic bomb mission, dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and hastening the end of World War II in the Pacific. His callsign is K4ZVZ.
General Eugene E. Habiger served as the commander in chief, United States Strategic Command. His callsign is K6EWP
Lieutenant General Francis Griswold served as vice commander in chief of Stategic Air Command and as Commandant of the the National War College. His callsign was K0DWC.
But perhaps the most famous military leader and ham radio operator was General Curtis Lemay W6EZV who, among many exploits, served as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. It was General Lemay’s tactical procedures that made B-17 and B-29 bombers so successful during World War II. There is a famous, although possibly apocryphal story told of General Lemay having a QSO one afternoon. The ham on the other end of the conversation asked Lemay what he did for a living. The General replied, in a non-committal way, that the “was in the Air Force”. The first ham apparently was a rather low ranking airman who had no idea that this “Curt” he was talking to was a General and he apparently said quite a few things about the Air Force that he probably would have skipped over had he known about the stars on the shoulders of W6EZV.

ROYAL AMATEURS
Most hams have heard that the late King Hussein of Jordan was a very active ham as JY1. He was a regular check in on the “Arabian Knights” net. His wife Queen Noor is also licensed as JY1NH. But there have been other royal hams through the years.
The late King Hassan II of Morocco was licensed as CN8MH.
King Juan Carlos of Spain held the callsign EA0JC.
The King of Thailand Bhumiphol Adulayadej holds the call HS1A.
As they say… “It’s good to be the king!”

PRESIDENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS TOO
It’s not just royalty that enjoy the hobby of amateur radio.
Francesco Cossiga, the former President of Italy holds the callsign I0FCG
Keizo Obuchi, the late Prime Minister of Japan held the callsign JI1KIT.
Carlos Saul Menem, the former President of Argentina holds the callsign LU1SM
Rajiv Gandi, the late Prime Minister of India held the callsign VU2RG.
General Anastasio Somoza, the late president of Nicaragua held the callsign YN1AS
Sit Thomas Davis, the former Premier of the Cook Islands holds the callsign ZK1AN

AND DON’T FORGET THE POLITICIANS
New York Governor George Pataki was once licensed as K2ZCZ
David Funderburk, former Member of the House of Representatives from North Carolina holds the callsign K4TPJ
The most famous American Ham Politician remains the late Senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater K7UGA. Throughout his career, Senator Goldwater was a staunch friend of Amateur Radio.

ACTOR AMATEURS
When not in the spotlight, quiet a few actors are, or have been, hams.
Stewart Granger is N6KGB, the late Andy Devine was known as WB6RER when he was not playing somebody’s sidekick. “The King” was never licensed as a ham but his ex-wife Pricilla Presley holds the callsign N6YOS. The late Burl Ives was KA6HVA. Comedian Stu Gilliam is licensed as KI6M.
Perhaps the most famous and controversial actor amateur story is attached to the late Marlin Brando, known to operate from his home in French Polynesia as “Martin Brandeux” FO5GJ

RADIO HAMS
No list of famous hams would be complete without mentioning the late author, actor, comedian Jean Shepherd K2ORS. “Shep” was beloved by the ham radio community. While he’ll be forever remembered for the movie “The Christmas Story”. He will be recalled by the many hams who had the pleasure to work him on the air.
Late night Talk Show host Art Bell is an active ham. His callsign is W6OBB.

COUNTRY FRESH HAMS
Country Western Music has its share of ham operators. These include the late Chet Atkins W4CGP who was know on the air by the phonetics “Certified Guitar Picker”.
Singer/Songwriter Ronnie Milsap is a very active ham. His callsign is WB4KCG.
Country Singer Patty Loveless hold the call KD4WUJ.

ROCKIN’ AMATUERS
Rock and Roll can’t be outdone by the C&W crowd so here are a few ham rockers for you.
Larry Junstrom, the bass guitarist for the group .38 Special is K4EB.
Stu Cook, the bass guitarist of the group Creedence Clearwater Revival is N6FUP
Joe Walsh of The Eagles (and for you older Hippies, The James Gang) is WB6ACU. By the way Joe is quiet a collector of old Collins radio gear. I bring this up just to mention that Art Collins, the late founder of Collins Radio was W0CXX

And, as they say, the list gets longer every day. I know of quiet a few more. Maybe they will make another column someday. Amateur radio remains the great hobby it is because people from all stations in life can join together in the common fun of radio communication. No matter who we are in the “real world”. On the bands we’re all just hams having fun.

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