W0MLY 1954 Perry, Iowa

The Famous DXpeditioner Dick McKercher

I ran in to Dick, W0MLY, at Dayton. Probably the last time he attended. His feet were so bad he could not get around. He gave me his room number and I dropped in after dinner. We chatted for an hour or so. Dick was all over Africa like fleas on a Georgia hound dog back in the 50’s and 60’s. That was because he was out there setting up nav aids and air to ground and HF commo for Pan Am. He had to work with the ministry of PTT in each country, and while he was there he just happened to pick up a ham call. He told about his activities buying car load lots of commercial and military surplus transmitters. Dick had use of a rail siding where 40 foot box cars full of HF and MF gear would arrive to be cannibalized. But he screened the potential buyers. He might sell to W7PHO, and might not sell to the kid down the street who would get fried on the HV or whack every TV within a thousand miles with the amp he built.

QSL from the estate of W4HUW
Info courtesy of WA8MOA