When I was a young lad in my early teens, I had a friend whose dad was a ham radio operator.

I was very curious to find out about ham radio, and was fascinated how my friend's dad could communicate with other hams throughout the world, not only from his home location but while driving a car!

In 1970, my other friend (Rich, now K5RGT) and I picked up an Ameco Novice Class study guide from Lafayette Radio, Inc., in Maple Shade, NJ.

We studied the booklet and also studied hard for the 5 word per minute novice Morse Code exam that the FCC required me to pass.

Rich and I took our test from Mike Ward (K2GA), my friend's dad, and we passed the test in the late summer of 1970. I received the call WN2QFL. I was 13.

Mike Ward, who is now a silent key, having passed away in April 2006, was my "elmer", the one who helped me become a ham.

In 1972, at 15 years old, I went to the FCC Field Office in Philadelphia, by train, by myself and took the FCC General Class Amateur Radio test, and passed! I was scared stiff of those guys at the FCC...but managed to pass the 13 word per minute and electrical theory tests. I was issued the call WA2TPX.

My current callsign K2MFW is a "vanity" call, symbolizing my initials MFW (Matthew Frederick Wilson). I've had this call for several years now, and probably won't change it again.

I married Mike Ward's daughter in 1986!

I owe gratitude to Mike Ward, and I was proud of him, as he was of me. I'll miss him.