Tuesday, March 29th was the 5th annual National Vietnam War Veteran’s Day. This holiday is to thank and honor Vietnam Veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. March 29th is a fitting date for this event as it was on March 29th, 1973 on which the United States Military Assistance Command , Vietnam, was disestablished. It was also the day that the last US combat troops departed Vietnam and it was on or about this same day that Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war (https://www.vietnamwar50th.com.)
At our last monthly meeting, Larry Groves, KJ4GZR, proposed that the CARS celebrate National Vietnam War Veteran’s Day by operating a station on the USS Yorktown. Initially, his proposal was to do this next year; however, there was an immediate motion to hold the event this year which was carried by all present. With only 2 weeks notice, the club determined to make it happen.
It was a cold (for Charleston,) windy day with lots of sunshine when Club President, Rick Valentine, N8BKN, opened the club room and began the setup for our station on the hangar deck. Lee Miller, KI4LLJ, Larry Groves, KJ4GZR, Warren Richey, KK4EVI, Brian Smith, KN4EXJ, Mike Whisenant, KY4BO, Johnny Saef, WB4JMS and myself (AA2BB) joined him. We installed the Butternut vertical on the flight deck and dropped a transmission line down to the hangar deck entrance where our station was set up. By 10:15am we were on the air.
The enthusiasm for our efforts was tremendous! We spoke with folks from Calgary and Nova Scotia to the Virgin Islands and a dozen or more states. DX contacts included Italy, Austria and Canada. All thanked us for making the effort to get on the air. We contacted several veterans who were especially appreciative, one of whom remembered escorting the Yorktown during the Vietnam war. Several visitors stopped at the station to learn about ham radio and ask questions about our event and the ship. In short, everything went as well as possible and we had a special day honoring our Vietnam veterans.
Steve Saef, AA2BB
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