9K3TL 1961 Kuwait / Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone

Jack Laib HB9TL / 9K3TL/NZ, Les Hill G8KS

Jakob Laib, HB9TL (VK6CTL), became a Silent Key on April 24, 2010, at his 2nd home in Perth, West Australia, leaving his wife Marianne, two sons and a daughter. Jak was licensed in 1956, became a passionate DXer and for many years held the position #23 among the worldwide Honor Roll #1 members. Unforgettable are his early DXpeditions to the Saudi Arabia/Kuwait Neutral Zone (now deleted) where he signed 9K3TL/NZ or together with his friend Erwin, HB9QR to the Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands. He was 82 years old.

Another operator on the DXpedition was Lyman Rundlett "Rundy" W3ZA, K4ZA.
Read his very interesting story by K8MFO here!

I'm sorry to report that Vic Crawford - W1TYQ passed away on November 8, 2014 at age 94 in Michigan. Vic's friend for decades Ned - W1RAN provided me with some of the "high points" of Vic's long ham radio career. Vic was well known as HZ3TYQ in Saudi Arabia (1963 - 1976) and made two DXpeditions each into the Saudi Arabia / Iraqi Neutral Zone HZ3TYQ/8Z4, HZ3TYQ/8Z4, and Kuwait / Saudi Arabia Neutral Zones, HZ3TYQ/8Z5, 9K2TL/NZ. The operation from the Kuwait / Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone as 9K3TL/NZ was with Jack Laub - HB9TL, Roy Fleming - MP4BBD, L.M. "Rundy" Rundlett - W3ZA / K4ZA / OD5CT, and G3OFI in 1961. Vic retired to Torch Lake, Michigan as W1TYQ/8 with particular interest in 80 meters, where he proceeded to rack up almost 300 countries.

A personal observation or two. Vic also operated a good deal from HZ1AB, back in the "Hot Ziggety One American Boy" heyday. Vic was known world-wide for his impeccable CW and top notch operating. I will always remember June 29, 1962, when as a 16 year old with a "rag tag" station in Upper Michigan, I worked Vic from HZ1AB. I know I'm not alone in sharing lifelong respect for Vic, both as a top notch operator, and a world class guy. We have lost one more from America's Greatest Generation. You just can't replace guys like Vic.
73, Don Karvonen - K8MFO

Letter to Jackob Laib HB9TL from the Kuwait T & T granting permission to operate Amateur radio from the Kuwait / Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone!

QSL from the estate of W2HDW
Info on W1TYQ courtesy of K8MFO
Letter from the estate of W1TYQ
Photo from Don Chesser W4KVX DX Magazine #155, January 20, 1962