Lyle Heide, WB9VTM
(Formerly WN6PTC, 1976)

I was the Executive Director of the American Red Cross Chapter in Manitowoc, Wisconsin having returned home in 1972 after a good many years of wandering foreign lands as a Red Cross Field Director in the Services to the Military Program operated by the American National Red Cross.

In the years just prior to my licensing, I had offered a home to the local MANCORAD radio club in the Red Cross Building basement meeting room - The Radio Club had used one of the storage rooms to in which to establish their club radio and used to conduct their meetings in the RC basement classroom . I got to know all of the Club members - particularly one old timer named Charles Scholten who eventually became a member of my Board of Directors He got me interested in applying for my Novice license which I eventually did - the Code requirements were minimal and the written test was a snap - Well needless to say from the point on I was hooked and eventually worked my way through to the Extra Class level - It wasn't easy because of the code requirements but and a hearing disability I picked up while serving in the Army during the Korean Conflict

73,

Lyle