Amateur Radio Honors Veterans Day: A Gainesville Tradition

Last updated on August 25, 2026

 

by Lorilyn Roberts

Originally appeared in the North Florida QST

 

Each year, the Gainesville Amateur Ham Radio Society celebrates a special day in November, Veterans Day, that is unlike any other event on the club calendar. Veterans Day is the one time each year when ham radio and our country’s heritage intersect in a historically unique way.

As I warmed myself beside a heater with two other ham radio operators, we watched as families strolled past our table. A large flag unfurled a few feet from us in the buffeting wind, and across the commons area, the orchestra bellowed out patriotic songs in honor of Veterans Day. I pondered the future of this great nation as youngsters skipped playfully amongst the crowd with their parents in tow, pushing babies in strollers wide-eyed with wonder.

My father served in the Korean War, and so Veterans Day is significant to me (Lorilyn KO4LBS). I remember my dad’s youthful stories of hanging out with “the boys” and flying in the big, beautiful plane. He cherished the black-and-white photo he showed me from the ’50s, in which he sat debonair in the pilot’s seat. He was a pilot until he “buzzed over” his commander’s residence and got grounded. Probably not my dad’s finest moment, but his acumen as an airplane mechanic was so valuable that, even though they clipped his wings, he stayed in the Air Force as a mechanic, ensuring the planes met specs and were airworthy for the brave souls who flew them.

My dad has been gone for many years, but his stories of service and those of others like him live on, and we share them because they’re part of our past. Their memories are etched in our psyches as we reflect on their sacrifices to keep our country safe. What heroes we’ve had, and what an honor it is to show our appreciation for all they have done for us on Veterans Day.

Older people and the young stopped by to talk—the vets sharing their stories, the wives who are proud of their husbands’ valor, and the starry-eyed kids who will carry on the tradition when it’s their turn. They may not understand what this day means. Still, as they grow older, they will remember the helicopter landing, the flags unfurling in the wind, the orchestra playing patriotic music to inspire the next generation—reminders of what others have sacrificially given us.

As part of the mystique, ham radio operators want to impart the history and importance of ham radio to the next generation. Participating in the Veterans Day celebration is part of the club’s mission—to educate, share, and inspire young people to take up the hobby, which has a special place in civilian and military history.

My favorite activity on Veterans Day is helping the young ones try their hand at CW, also known as Morse Code. We set up a special booth for the children to learn what it is and hear the unique CW tones that have been sent via radio waves in defense of our country since the Civil War.

We have a chart the kids can use to “decode” their names in Morse Code, just like the military has been doing for over a hundred years. The kids are used to typing on their cell phones and can easily figure it out on their own, especially those with a musical background.

The Gainesville Amateur Radio Society (GARS) is composed entirely of volunteers. One of the club’s goals is to keep ham radio relevant in today’s fast-paced world. While ham radio has been around a long time, some of the tools are state-of-the-art, including digital and high-tech radios and antennas. Highly trained volunteer operators can bounce radio signals off the moon and the International Space Station. Ham radio is not a dinosaur from the past; it’s alive and well, not only here in the U.S. but around the world.

The ham radio operators who participated this year showed a heart of dedication, with temperatures the coldest of the season—25 degrees, factoring in wind chill. We did everything we could to stay warm, including using a couple of outdoor heaters provided by Debra Boal, KI4CVS. She even assembled one of them from the box with cold fingers (see JPEGs). I don’t think I would have survived the cold without the heaters’ warmth. I guess I have lived in Florida too long (I was born in Tampa; that’s my excuse). We even had a windbreaker on one of the two pop-up tents.

Mike Martell, KK4KRZ, compiled the information for our radio club’s participation, and I want to give a shout-out to everyone who participated. We had 18 amateurs who braved the cold. We had an HF station on 20 meters, thanks to Earl Sloan, KI4OXD; Gordon Gibby, KX4Z; and Ron Lewis, KN4ZUJ. We also had a 40-meter station, thanks to Andy Bryson, KO4MYL; Dean Covey, KV4RL; and Barry Nason, KD0QIX. Altogether, we erected five antennas: four vertical and one 40-meter dipole.

Andy set up a speaker so visitors could hear our operators make contacts and explain the events as they happened. The speaker allowed those interested and drawn to our table to hear distant amateurs respond with their Veterans Day comments.

Karyn Shander KQ4JBR operated a VHF / UHF / GMRS / FRS combination of radios to demonstrate the upper bands of amateur radio and other available radios for comparison.

Jim Carr KC4MHH organized the landing and takeoff security for two helicopters. Several amateurs were involved in this activity, including David Beatty, KD4DRP; Susan Halbert, KG4VWT; and Dean Covey, KV4EL. We also had a demo of Meshtastic (915 MHz texting) between four devices.

Many handed out brochures explaining amateur radio to those who were curious. Others shared their ham radio stories from the Vietnam War. After learning about the Gainesville Amateur Radio Society, two young men signed up to get their amateur ham radio technician licenses.

We also want to mention Larry Rovak WB2SBV, who wanted to be with us but was unable to attend. He would have liked seeing the two ladder trucks supporting a giant American flag.

 

Those who helped out but weren’t mentioned above include Shannon Boal K4GLM, Ken Miller KF4ULO, Pete Winters K4GHP, Don Nero KR4GMI, Bill Sewell KR4EKZ, and Brett Wallace NH2KW.

As Mike Martell said, we can’t thank those who braved the cold enough for their support of Veterans Day and amateur radio, making it a special day we won’t soon forget.

Click here to read more articles like this one at the ARRL North Florida Section website.

Click here to learn more about Lorilyn’s latest book, Eighth Dimension – Frequency, which has a lot of ham radio in it.