Prescott, Arizona
Dec 1^st 2007

Born in Illinois in 1938.  Soon moved to Chicago till the early 1950’s due to my fathers employment for the WW-2 effort as an electronic engineer.  Around 1950 we moved to Pasadena again due to employment. I was then entering High school at John Muir, Pasadena, Ca. Graduated in 1956 and went part time to PCC and Mt San Antonio Jr. College till 1958.

In 1958 I married my High School sweetheart Pat (KD6SBZ) and joined the US Navy as an airman. Went to boot camp in San Diego and was assigned to Los Alamitos Air Station. Did a couple of summer cruises aboard the carrier USS Shangri-La. Was assigned to the station fire department and that was my first beginnings as a firefighter.

Left the Navy in 1961 and worked as a telephone lineman for  Ma Bell in Pasadena for a couple of years. Put many 900 pair cables into JPL along with many other projects.

Soon after I went to work with the City of Los Angeles as a Heavy Equipment Mechanic due to a nice pay raise. Worked there for a couple of years in the Street Maintenance Dept. on their equipment.

I then applied to L.A. County for a firefighter job. Took an exam, passed with flying colors due to my past experience with the Navy. Was excepted. Another nice pay raise.  Worked both L.A. riots, the earth quake in Sylmar, and many brush fires over my career. Became a Fire Paramedic in 1975. Many of the nations Paramedic programs were copied from LA Counties early pioneering of the program. I completed 32 years of service and retired in 1994.

Currently own a 1997 Goldwing SE the eighth one since they were introduced by Honda. My first bike was a Triumph 650 in 1958 while in the Navy. Had a Honda 750  and then Gold Wings.  I have probably a million miles on Motorcycles. Was the founding father of GWRRA Chapter “M”  Riverside/San Bernardino for 5 years. Have toured via motorcycle thru Europe/ New Zealand/ Australia/ Western Canada/ Mexico/ and all the lower 48 states.  Was a MSF instructor for a short time. Participated in a few Baker to Vegas events, acting as motorcycle escort for the many local and national police organizations, which compete during this yearly event. And enjoyed the 3 Flag event sponsored by SCMA from Mexico to Canada. Was a finisher the times that I participated.

Became a Ham in early 1992 and currently hold an advanced ticket. First became active with MARC in the summer of 1992 and found that DeWitt Morgan now one of our MARC board members, was also  a co-worker as a fireman on the same fire department as I, and interested in motorcycles and ham radio. As well Ray Davis was an active firefighter with Inglewood at the time. Since all firefighters are brothers we instantly bonded with the same interests. In the early beginnings of MARC we started out with Radio Shack HTX 202 radios.  Hand helds weren’t really that good for motorcycle mobile and a lot of experimentation ensued in those early days. We soon started adapting the Kenwood 741’s which seemed to work well and Ray was always experimenting with brackets, microphones, antennas and any thing he could get a hold of to work with.

Since we had a back ground of helping people on the job, the natural progression for the MARC organization was involvement with charity work. A perfect way to use our motorcycles and ham gear.  I have met lots of  folks and made lots of friends thru the MARC group over the years at the MARC meetings and charity events.  Some currently living here in Prescott, Az. area. The wing is equipped with a Kenwood 741 tri bander with independent antennas for each band including an HP-32FHN on 2 meter. The shack with Kenwood TS 440S HF,   For 440 band TM 441-A, for 2 meter TM 261 –A, and TM 3530-A for the 220 band . For mobiles Kenwood 742 tri band in the jeep, TMV-7 duel band in Pat’s car, TM733 duel band in the RV tow vehicle .  Various antennas for all.

I changed my ham call in 2005 when my dad died at the age of 96. He had been a ham all of his life and had the call W6KHN for over 40 years. So to keep the call in the family I applied for it after his death and will keep it. Hopefully my son will keep it in the family when I am a silent key.

After retirement began we decided that Prescott Valley Arizona was for us, so we moved in 1994 and built our second house as an owner builder in 1997 in Prescott.  Our first building experience was our house in Wildomar, Ca in 1977.  We are now involved with volunteer work here. Joined the Sheriffs Office with Danny Velderrain one of the founding members of MARC, KD6FLP on the Search Jeep Posse when we moved here. Working at the local hospital ER, work with Yavapai County Elections Department during national election cycles, have become interested in flying since the local airport is just 15 minutes away as a student pilot.  Ride Quads and enjoy shooting since Arizona residents are allowed and encouraged to have gun carrying permits. Traveling, but not as much on the motorcycle, more with the 5^th wheel toy box and toys.  Also work with ARES/RACES emergency radio system and be came an ARRL /VC volunteer examiner, so we can get new hams involved with our hobby.

We have two sons, one a missionary. He and his wife both hams, reside in Texas with our four grandchildren. And the other son lives in San Diego also with our other four grandchildren.

I have watched MARC evolve into a force, in charity work, nation wide now, under the  guidance, dedication and many hours hard work and personal expense of Ray and Bonnie over the years.  I am proud to have played a small part in helping Ray, Bonnie and the MARC members in the beginning years make the group what it is today, in helping many in need, and to count them as true family and friends. Truly a great group.

Terry  W6KHN

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