[GreenKeys] RE: Not many of us left.

[telegrapher at att.net]

My first encounter with a machine was back in 1959.  Mom was a secretary at the Garden City Sugarbeet Company.  They had a 15 in the office and i was a Sr. in HS.  Shew had them take the machine off line during a lul in the daytime traffic and i got to set there and playaround, typing away like mad but saying nothing to anyone.  Lit a fire.

Then in 1961 or so my dad who was a Plan 55 NCO with the Air Force in the UK had a cerebral hemmorage and the sent for me to come quickly as he wasn't expected to live.  He did for about 30 days but never knew i was there.  The 1st shirt of the squadron arranged for me to spend as much time as i wanted in the TTy section playing with 28's or watching the goings on.  WOW.  Talk about fascinating.  guys putting up circuit patches due to propagation changes and other requirements.  I was definitely hooked.  

After my service time i joined up with ma bell for an occupational tour.  About 1974 i was asked if i wanted to go to TTY school.  Absolutely yes i said.  So 28, 33, 35 and 40 schools followed.  All in Dallas except for the 40 school which was in hot humid Houston.  I didn't care for the "bend and twist" of the 33.  got some time on early model 40's but most of my tty background was as a 28 repairmen.  Loved it all except for the callout's at 9:30 or so in the evenings to drive 100 miles and clear a paper jam for a radio station.  Grrrr.  

Don't know what will happen to my 28 KSR here.  It's to nice to throw in the dump but who knows except for "the Shadow"!

Lots of other tales to.
Larry
W0OGH