Upon our arrival in San Francisco on April 21, 1952, I attended St. Johns School. After that first year, I was transfered to a boarding school so that I could learn the language better. While at St. Francis School in Watsonville for two years, I had my first exposure to amateur radio. I had the fortune of meeting a boy about my age at the time, who lived across the lake next to the school. His name was Ed Johnson, K6DTC. Ed took me to his ham shack, showed me his radio equipment. Although I had difficulty understanding everything being said, Ed did give me a slip of paper onto which he had written "Mission Trail Net." That was the first time and last time I saw Ed.

In 1955 I was sent to attend Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco. Over the next three years, I studied the "Radio Amateurs License Manual" for the Novice, Technician and General Class licenses. With the help of my new Brother-in-Law, K6UWB, and several school chums like K6VOL, K6TCS, WA6YTD and K6VPB my interest in amateur radio progressed. Two days after becoming a US citizen, on a Friday, I took and passed the Novice test at the San Francisco FCC Office. Several weeks later received the call "KN6UGS". A year later took and passed the Tech, followed by the General class licenses and held the call "K6UGS".I immediately checked into Mission Trail Net on 80 meters, but no one knew of the where abouts of K6DTC. Several visits to Ed Johnsons' house in Watsonville proved to be in vane. Ed had moved to Alaska and no address was to be had.

Around 1956 I had met K6GES - Walt Edmondson. With the philosophy that nothing was impossible in electronics, he spent almost every day, after work, with me teaching all he could about electronics, ham radio and listening to Sputnik. He became like a "Second Father" to me. On an almost daily basis I would walk many miles across San Francisco to his house and spend 6-8 hrs. with Walt, returning home 1 and 2 AM.

Upon graduating from High School, went into the US Air Force, was stationed at Keesler AFB,Missisippi; then to Edwards AFB where I started night school at Antelope Valley JC in Lancaster, CA. and in early 1960 was shipped to Izmir, Turkey for a two year tour where I was ATCO at Cigli AFB. north of Izmir. Did considerable sight seeing and traveling while in Turkey.

In 1966, I returned to college. Got married to a San Francisco girl. Had two lovely kids, and was divorced in 1972.

In order to benefit from the Incentive Licensing Program, on April 28, 1970 I upgraded to Advanced class license.

By 1974 I not only finshed my BA at San Francisco State University, but I also had met THE gal of my life and married her. I now have 2 step-sons, and we have since then become Grandparents to two grandsons.

In 1976 I had completed my Masters requirements in Industrial Psychology (Personnel Services).

Due to both of our companies restructuring and the threat of losing our jobs, we took an early retirement in 1993, left California and built our new diggings in the Southern part of Oregon.

Despite being retired, I still do periodic computer consulting work, hardware and software, as well as teaching Wordperfect for windows, Rbase, Access and general computer operation. As of recent, I have indulged in creating web pages, my own plus two radio clubs and for SOSMART (Special Military Active Retired Travel Club). After all, I can't let technology get away from me.......