Tribute to Fred Laun K3ZO

Tribute to Alfred "Fred" Albert Laun III - K3ZO
December 9, 1937 - January 3, 2023

Alfred A. “Fred” Laun, III was first licensed in 1952 as WN9SZR and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a BA in Political Science / Journalism in 1962. He became a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Information Agency in 1963 and retired in 1988, receiving the Secretary of State’s Award in 1974. He married Somporn Nirabutra of Thailand in 1986 (deceased in 2011), they had no children. Fred got his K3ZO callsign in 1976. Fred was 85.

Also read the 2015 K1AR NCJ Interview with Fred.

K3ZO was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame at the Dayton Contest Banquet in April 1993!

Fred was a member of the PVRC (Potomac Valley Radio Club), President of NCDXA (National Capitol DX Assn.), A1 Operator Club, FOC (First Class CW Operators' Club), life member of the ARRL and member of the ARRL Maxim Society.
Fred has operated from many well known contest stations including W3MSK (W3AU), W4BVV. Many have operated from his FB contest station as well.

The Yasme Foundation is deeply saddened to announce today’s death of Yasme Director, Fred Laun, K3ZO, after a short illness. Fred fell ill in mid-December and his condition steadily worsened as time progressed. Fred’s service to Yasme and other amateur organizations, spanning decades, was unsurpassed as were his contributions to amateur radio, for which he cared deeply. He will be greatly missed by the Yasme family. Fred was well-known and respected around the globe, we know Fred’s many friends world-wide will honor his memory, both on and off the air. Very 73, Fred. Ward Sliver, N0AX, President The YASME Foundation

It is with immense sadness that I share with you the passing of our dear friend Fred Laun K3ZO. Fred passed away this evening at 7:03 PM.
Fred became ill on December 15 and was transported from his home to Inova Fairfax Hospital on the 18th. His condition worsened as time progressed. He was battling an infection and COVID.
It was Fred's desire to not have any formal funeral or ceremony. Certainly the club will want to recognize him and celebrate a ham radio icon at a later date.
We knew this day would eventually come. It doesn't make it any easier. There was just something about tuning the bands during a contest and hearing K3ZO. You knew everything was right with the ham radio world. RIP OM. You were one of a kind!

This upcoming ET3AA activity on January 14-21, 2023 with K4ZW, W9XY and EY8MM, as well as local ops is dedicated to K3ZO, Fred Laun. Ken notes that Fred is responsible for the ET3AA IC-7300 radio and has funded some of the travel for youth at ET3AA in the past to attend the YOTA summer conferences in Europe. Ken says "The legacies of Sid, ET3SID, and Fred, K3ZO, live on through these youth."
73, Ken K4ZW

Fred was a good friend of mine. He was always willing to help with projects on Hamgallery.com. He was my go-to guy for information on any article pertaining to Asia, especially Southeast Asia.
Fred was a QSL manager for the ARRL Incoming 3rd district QSL bureau. Fred knew I collected QSL cards. He would send me boxes of unclaimed or SK cards for my collection. This provided many fill-ins for me and several went up on my site. A fond memory was when Fred came to the Dayton Hamvention, we walked around the Hara Arena grounds together exchanging many stories.

Fred was an inspiration for many. His contest skills were unsurpassed. This has been very sad for me. RIP my good friend. Tom K8CX

Read South East Asia Memories by K3ZO, K8MFO

Read Tribute to Philip Wight VS6DR by K3ZO

Sound clips recorded in Vietnam on 20 meter CW in 1971 by K3ZO:
W3AU
W3PZW
W4BVV
W4KFC

Sound clips recorded in Ohio by K8CX:
UK/EI Contest, 15 Meter SSB at 1444Z on October 23, 2021
OK/OM Contest 20 Meter SSB at 1956Z on April 9, 2022

When I was a Novice and Fred was operating from LU5HFI, he would show up in the Novice band with slow speed CW to give Argentina to the Novice's. I worked Fred and this got me interested in working DX. (Fred got on the Novice bands from his other overseas operations as well) W3YQ

For me, Fred was kind of the uncle I never really had growing up. His stories fascinated me...being a DX and contesting monger...I could listen to them for hours. But one of the things that will always stick in my mind is that Fred perceived some abilities in me that I didn't really see in myself back in those days...and that would take me years to understand and act on due to fears instilled in me from my upbringing.
Attached are a few audio files I recorded to Fred over time...I probably have more stashed away somewhere. Also, a rare photo of Fred doing email during my visit in July 2021. Maybe I had just fixed his vexing PC problem. I would remember for sure if I had a memory like his.
RIP Fred. You'll be missed more than you know. Sad Tomato KM3T

MP3 Sound Clip of Fred in 2001 in he AA contest by KM3T
MP3 Sound Clip of Fred working AA1VX by KM3T

A quote from a post to CQ-CONTEST by Fred back in 1999 when there was one of the recurring debates on changing the definition of Single Op as digital forms of assistance and wins by guest ops increased: "If anyone wants to invent a new category that will fit me, I will gladly change to that category and continue to have fun in the contests. Until then, I will continue to operate SOHP.73, Fred" 73 John K3TN

I first met Fred at the University of Wisconsin in the late '50's when I joined the Badger Amateur Radio Society, W9YT, which had recently experienced its "Second Coming <https://w9yt.rso.engr.wisc.edu/founding-of-w9yt/> " thanks to the efforts of Fred and a few others. This article, written by Fred, was published in 1983 in a state-wide amateur radio publication and is still posted on the BARS website. When another W9YT alumnus, Phil Goetz, N6ZZ, passed in 2007, Fred memorialized him in an article <http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/CQ-Contest/2007-03/msg00270.html> that is still available online. Many of the sentiments he expressed there now apply to Fred himself. Remembering. -Tom Macon, K9BTQ

Kilo Three Zulu Oscar, Fred, passed away last night. He had been in the hospital for several weeks. I remember my first QSO with Fred. I was a Novice and was good friends with K3EST, Bob Cox, who was living at Fred's house in Temple Hills. Fred was living and working in Thailand and QRV as HS1ABD. Bob knew I needed HS for my DXCC. On September 22, 1979 Bob called me on the phone to say Fred was going to the 15 meter Novice band. Conditions were very good and I quickly worked HS1ABD for a new one. For several years in my teens I would multi-op with Bob and KT3Y (ex WB4SGV), Phil, at Fred's QTH. He had an amazing QTH and fantastic station. Several times I operated single-op, once coming in second place in the All Asia CW Contest, from the East Coast. I remember when Fred came home from Thailand and held a PVRC meeting in his house. Those in attendance saw how happy he was as Fred announced his marriage to his longtime sweetheart Samporn. I always enjoyed talking to Fred on the telephone and in person as he was an absolute wealth of knowledge. My sincere condolences to the Laun family, PVRC and all of the Amateur Radio operators he touched over the seven decades in which he was a ham!
RIP -.- ...-- --.. --- SK W3UR

Fred was one of the greats in the contest. Unfortunately, I never got to know him personally, but his call sign is burned very deeply into my memory; I don't have to think for a single second: Fred was the first American I worked on 80m. Something sticks! I will never forget the shiver that ran down my spine as a very young radio operator when K3ZO answered my call on 80m. At that time I was still a high school student in Bielefeld, using tortured ancient war tubes with massively excessive anode voltages in order to generate at least 100W HF. And it only went on 80m because my wild TX setup got self-excited on all the higher bands. That must have been around 1958. I started electronic logging around 1990. Since then Fred has been in my log almost 100 times and of course on all bands from 160m to 10m and of course both in SSB and in CW.
vy 73 de Rudolf, DJ3WE

Fred was my first USA on 40 meters. He gave me 578 report because I was using a homemade radio and vertical key. I pushed so hard so the table was moving and the radio was shaking. Every small shake of the radio led to freq drift. We just installed a two element full size yagi on 40. I was very young and had no idea about 40 meter propagation. It was at home. I was UJ8JMM. I was 16 years old and Fred sent me a qsl. His special one. I was very proud. EY8MM

One of Fred’s contributions is from July 1990 to the end of 1998 he was the editor of the bilingual IARU Region 2 News. He took over a publication that had been suspended for more than six years and breathed new life into it. He and Somporn did everything, from news gathering all the way through printing and mailing, and added electronic distribution to increase its circulation. K1ZZ

I have known Fred since he recovered from his terrorist gun wounds and spoke at W2GHK's DX convention at the Sheraton near Washington Dulles Airport (IAD). He was my Godfather for my diplomatic career. He brought me into the diplomatic service in 1976 after I was working in the Navy Polaris submarine missile service. He convinced me to take a cut in pay to join the foreign service in his division at the US Information Service (USIS). I took a chance and it paid off. After 8 years as a telecommunications officer I was invited to become a diplomatic security officer and transferred to the State department in February 1984. Then my career took off all because of Fred giving me a chance to prove myself. During those first 8 years working for Fred I tried to obtain a ham license in almost every country Fred sent me with the idea of running my Atlas 210X and wire antennas and giving out that country. Fred defended me to management when I was delayed at a post. I spent a lot of time in Conakry, Guinea running or using the VK4NIC/3X station as then 3X was still a rare one. Same for many of the rare African countries he sent me to. Because of Fred I was able to meet and marry my wife Marisa, DU1CQM now WB2IEC after I was assigned to embassy Manila as a security officer. WB2IEC was my call while I was assigned to the embassy in Manila. I owe everything to Fred which happened to me in my diplomatic career. He gave me a chance and I excelled. We will miss having Fred over for dinner every special occasion at our home and to reminisce of the old days in the foreign service and the DX hams we got to know many of who are already SK. Over the years Fred has always advised me with my foreign service career. It was an honor to have known this man and to have had him as my mentor throughout my life. It was hard for me to write this and I may have forgotten some things as my tears have been constantly flowing since 7:02 pm tonight. The GKW along with Eddie have lost 2 of the founding fathers.
73 to all. K4YT, ex HS1AMT (per Fred in 1980)

Fred was my oldest friend since Wisconsin novice days in 1953 (WN9ZQA and W9SZR), four years of college together, and a lifetime of close communications since then. Fred's younger brother, Jack, is travelling to WDC to begin sorting out the lifetime of intense hamming and I've agreed to advise him on that effort. Fred had many awards and thousands of QSL cards from all his overseas operations.
73 es Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!
Reg Olson, NH6T, W9ZQA, W6KGK, V47RO, 5X1C, NH6T/VK2

I first met Fred, then W9SZR, when I went to a University of Wisconsin football game in Madison in 1958 with my Dad and siblings. At the time, I was into working dx and participating in contests. I had gotten to know Fred and K9ELT (later N6ZZ) over the air from my home in Eau Claire [180 miles north of Madison]. I saw a yagi on top of an engineering building in Madison and was pretty sure it was W9YT. I went into the building and up to the top floor and knocked on the door labelled W9YT. Fred was puttering around the shack getting getting ready for a contest.
I had operated in the SS contest the year before and was not happy with my results. I asked Fred what I could do to improve my score. His advice was that I should put up an antenna for every band, and that I should get on the air and call CQ contest and keep calling and calling.
I did as he suggested. I put up a 20m dipole and used my long wire on 80 and 40. I had Gotham yagis for 15 and 10. When the 1958 phone SS started, I started calling CQ and kept on calling. It worked! I ended up with a very good score in the low power category. I was a happy camper.
I worked both Fred and Phil in CD parties from Eau Claire. after I went to Northwestern and set up a station there, and later when I went to Kentucky for graduate work. I also talked to Fred when he was in the Dominican Republic. After 1966, I went very inactive and did not spend much time on the air until 1984 when I set up a club station at Otterbein College with equipment that had been donated to the College. I used my K9ALP call since we had not set up an official club. Early one morning in the winter of 1985, I called a station in VP2V on 40m cw. The op came back with a 599 and "Hi Lou". I learned when I sent my QSL to N6ZZ that the op was Phil K9ELT. Later on I worked Fred as K3ZO in a contest, he responded with a report and "Hi Louie this is Fred, ex W9SZR". I was overjoyed at renewing the acquaintances. I kept my original K9ALP call as a result of meeting them on the air.
I am going to miss hearing K3ZO on the air. I have missed N6ZZ on his contest travels. K9ALP

It is with fond memories that I mourn the passing of Fred Laun, K3ZO.
Though I saw him socially on many occasions, and in many places, my fondest memory was of joining with him at the very first convention put on by the radio amateurs of the Dominican Republic. As Fred had been stationed there on behalf of the U.S. State Department, he knew EVERYONE. He also had the advantage of going through language training at the State Department language school. His vocabulary and syntax in Spanish was very good. Yet, to my ears, he still sounded like a guy from Wisconsin speaking Spanish. Within the memorable La Primera Convention de los Radio Aficionados de la Republica Domincana (hope I got that right) was a Saturday evening dinner with dancing. So I may be the only person reading this memory who can say that he learned to dance the meringue from K3ZO. That was a great party.
For his mobile QSL card (the W9SZR/M card below), Fred was using a Hallicrafters SR-150 into a mobile whip on 80 m SSB. A mobile whip! On 80! It was 0117 local, summertime. I doubt he was as loud as he would later be with his big 80 meter Yagi. Looking back, I think that may be the only CD Party I ever won. I was portable in NH, using a sloper at a house on the side of Mount Mondanock, and I was willing to stay up at night to make just a few hundred QSOs in an inconsequential contest, an ARRL Communications Department (CD) Party. In July 1963, I was between my graduation from high school and my first year of college. I could forego sleep, and I thought a CD Party was a big thing.
Back then, K3ZO was not yet in the Foreign Service, still living in Wisconsin he would occasionally get on the air from W9EWC (Eat Wisconsin Cheese). W9EWC had a full size 40 meter beam, a very rare thing in the 1960-1965 era. Man was he LOUD. K1VR

K3ZO QSL Card 2007
Photo taken in South Korea with HL1TXQ, HL1OYF

K3ZO QSL Card 2008
Temple Hills, MD.

W9SZR 1953 Wisconsin
An early Fred Laun QSL!

W9SZR 1953 Kiel, Wisconsin

W9YT 1959 Madison, Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin
Badger Amateur Radio Society
A 6 Meter E-skip QSO
W9SZR Fred Laun operator

W9SZR 1962 Kiel, Wisconsin

W9SZR/M on 80 meter SSB 1963 Wisconsin

W9SZR/3 Washington, DC
Fred using his W9SZR callsign before receiving his K3ZO call.

AC9SZR 1976 Bi-Centenial Callsign

XV4AL QSL when Fred was in Vietnam!

The XV5BB historic contact was made to Fred Laun's Argentina call sign LU5HFI on June 2, 1973.

"Vietnam Amateur Radio Information Exchange" by Fred Laun K3ZO and Don Riebhoff K7CBZ June 7, 1972

"XV5AC Goes On The Air" from OHM Magazine Sept. 1972

Logbook from XV5AC which Chester, Fred, Don and others operated!

"The Southeast Asia Story" by Chester Lunsford XV5AC / W4EVG / HS1AIV

See Fred XV4AL on the cover of OHM Magazine November 1972

HI8WSR 1964 Dominican Republic
Fred sharing this callsign and QSL card with Wilson Rodriguez before receiving his HI8XAL callsign.

HI8XAL was Fred's callsign in the Dominican Republic from 1964 - 1967

Read "The 1965 Dominican Republic Revolution" by Fred Laun K3ZO

Thailand was on the USA/ITU banned list when HS3AL was issued to Fred K3ZO.
Read the story here!

HS1ABD 1978 Thailand

HS5ABD 1970 Thailand

HS0ZAR 1994 Thailand

Read a Tribute to Hans Hollstein - HS1BG / HS0/KA3TDZ by K3ZO

Read Fred's article on The King of Thailand HS1A

See Fred HS5ABD on the cover of OHM Magazine October 1970

See Fred HS5ABD on the cover of OHM Magazine 1971

LU5HFI 1973 Cordoba, Argentina

Fred gave a talk at one of the Contest Banquet's at the Crowne Plaza in Dayton one year.
I remember Fred saying that the one thing that worried him the most when he was shot and abducted by terrorists was saving the logs for his LU5HFI operation.
Fred was a true ham! K8CX

Letter to Fred from President Richard Nixon

The Secretary's Award to Fred "For courage and stamina during kidnapping by terrorists at great risk to your life. Cordoba, Argentina, April 12, 1974".

Newspaper artice about Fred being kidnapped by terrorists in Argentina

Also see a PDF file about the kidnapping!

HK3A 1982 operated by K3ZO/HK3 Columbia

K3ZO/HK3 1982 Columbia

HK3NBB 1982 Columbia
QSL of Fred K3ZO

WB0NAA/YN1 1986 Nicaragua

When Fred was assigned to Nicaragua, he was unable to secure a license because he was branded as a CIA agent! So, what to do? Well, he found out WB0NAA had permission to operate from YN, so Fred satisfied a whole bunch of people with 160 meter QSO's with his guest operating as WB0NAA/YN. I don't recall whether he did any contest efforts with that call. K8MFO

Tribute comments courtesy of K4ZW, KM3T, K8CX, N0AX, K3TN, K9BTQ, W3UR, W3YQ, DJ3WE, EY8MM, K4YT, K1VR
Tnx K4ZW for forwarding comments
Fred doing email photo and AA contest sound clips courtesy of KM3T
LU5HFI QSL from the estate of W3EVW, K8CX Collection
Lots of forwarded info courtesy of K3LR
Presidential letter, Secretary's plaque photos taken by KU1CW, Tnx W2GD
1974 Visalia Photo courtesy of W2GD
Argentine newspaper article and PDF file courtesy of WB9Z
2007 K3ZO, W8SZR/3, XV4AL, K3ZO/HK3, HK3NBB, HS3AL QSL Cards courtesy of K3ZO
2008 QSL Card courtesy of W8SU
1952 W9SZR QSL from the estate of W4SNH, K8CX Collection
1953 W9SZR QSL from the estate of W9IIB, K8CX Collection
1959 W9YT QSL from the estate of W1LUN, K8CX Collection
1962 W9SZR QSL from the estate of W2EZB, K8CX Collection
1963 W9SZR/M courtesy of K1VR
HS1ABD QSL K8CX Collection
HS5ABD QSL from the estate of W1EOA
HI8WSR, AC9SZR QSL G4UZN Collection
1st HI8XAL QSL from G3PGP
2nd, 3rd HI8XAL from K3ZO
1969 HS3AL, WB0NNA/YN QSL and info courtesy of K8MFO
Dayton Photos courtesy of K8CX
Dayton 2000, 2001 restaurant photo by W4MYA
N6TV Photos used with permission from N6TV
Some info courtesy of The YASME Foundation
Friedrichafen 2019 Photo courtesy of PB2T
Page 3, page 4 photos courtesy of E21EIC
Tnx K1AR, K8MFO