Field Day 2012 1E NH

Field day is the blessed event ! True to the meaning of the field day bulletin, field daythis 2012 brought together my family and friends. For years I did field day with my dad,W1RAI, son KB1MPS, and good friend Mike, W1YVM. Seven years ago dad moved toVirginia, and this year my son Tom enlisted in the U.S.Air Force. Of our nearly 1000 FDQ’s in class 1E NH the greatest contacts were with family. Dad found us early onSaturday afternoon on 40 M phone in a pile up. Paul, N1PFB, with his excellent ears (andno cigar in hand, unusual for Paul) pulled dad, now 94, out of the small pile up. Westraightened him out about his class which was 1D, VA, and reported to him he was 10 over S9 as usual and our contact number 51.

Earlier in the week I contacted Terry, W5PJ, president of the Wichita Falls, TX ARS to inquire if my son Tom, now an airman stationed at Shephard AFB, TX, for A-10 Warthog training, could join them at their field day site, Kawanis Park in Wichita Falls. The answer was in the affirmative and my son joined the very gracious club in Wichita Falls operating field day with the very appropriate call of N5WF. Tom, now N5WF 4A NTX, found us on 20M phone Sunday morning. He was logged as our number 811. Thanks very much to the Wichita Falls ARS for the kind welcome Tom reported and making our field day family reunion complete. You guys are what the ham community and field day are all about. Thanks

Our FD effort fell just short of our field day goal of 1000 Q’s and WAS. We missed 1000 Q’s by just 12, and missed two states, Vermont (our neighboring state) and Hawaii. But, what I treasured most were the two contacts with father and son and reconnecting with good friends for field day. Field day operators were three N1PFB, W1YVM, and myself on CW. Welcomed friends who logged and supported our effort were KB1UFM, WF1R, and N1GLT.

The final field day treat was reconnecting with a colleague of 30 years past, Ed, K1EE, who stopped by just after K1EEE (me), signed QRT FD on 20 M CW. Cann’t beat ARRL field day!