On Oct 12, 6:25 pm, wrote:
Forty years ago today, October 12, 1967, FCC issued a Novice license
to a 13-year-old kid in the 7th grade. The license arrived two days
later, and the kid (me) went on the amateur bands for the first time
October 14, 1967.

Jim, October 14th is special for me, too. That's the date I entered
active duty.

Since then, I've has had three amateur radio callsigns, six
"permanent" QTHs, a long list of rigs, antennas, parts and test
equipment, awards earned, articles published, and tens of thousands of
QSOs. Many things in amateur radio are different now than they were
then, many things are the same.

While serving, I had seven ranks, 10 PCS moves, including two
unaccompanied short tours (12 months in 1979 and another 12 months in
1988), one long tour (1989), several deployments, lots of awards, and
got to play radio, too.

One thing that hasn't changed is that ham radio is sure a lot of fun.

Doesn't seem like 40 years, though.

In ham years, you're just getting dried behind your ears... Enjoy
anther 20 or 30 or so...

What do others remember?

73 de Jim, N2EY

I remember passing my novice test 20 years ago last November. In ham
years, I'm a rank beginner..

73, bb