Harry (W2GXC)

Harry was my elmer, an extrodinary one! I met Harry on the air when I stumbled across the NLI traffic net. Under his tutelage I improved my skills to the point where I became a regional net representative, then a rep to the Eastern Area Net and finally graduating to TCC, Transcontinental Corps. My Viking Ranger wasn't powerful enough for those assignments, so Harry guided me as I assembled a Class C amplifier using 2 811As. My memory is a little hazy, but I suspect he never charged me a dime for any of the parts and as a high school senior and college freshman, the bucks were few and far between. Most of the materials were from his junk box. I went on to become Route Manager of NLI and had the pleasure of attending an annual dinner for fellow traffic handlers. In attendance that nite were quite a number of luminaries, including W1BUD, W1NJM and W2HD, then the Section Manager. W2GXC didn't make that meeting, turns out he was too sick with cancer. The last time I saw Harry, he was still giving me a hand on a project, despite his illness. A great elmer and a great friend and not forgotten despite the intervening 35 years!

Contributed by: Dick Bentley (K2UFT)

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