WELCOME TO THE CHAPTER 11 NEWSLETTER.
This newsletter is updated monthly. Contributions are welcomed from all members. The chapter bulletin will highlight individuals in our club, amateur radio topics and activities. At this point nothing is definite about this newsletter. In the future we may find a better name for the bulletin. we are open to all suggestions.

A listing of the individual articles is in the index. Clicking on the subject in the listing will take you to that article.

Table of Contents
* President's Message for 2008
* Listing of Local Nets
* Treasurer's Report UPDATE
* Vertical Antenna for Free
* Adrianus, W6AJS,on the Mend UPDATE
* March Meeting Report NEW
* The Roger (WA6AFT) Spindler Story.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE FOR 2008.
QCWA and its chapters promote friendship among operators licensed more than 25 years ago. It is a relaxed organization with minimal activities and few demands on individual members. During the coming year, we look forward to continuing this friendly relaxed atmosphere. Let us continue the chapter not by the volume of activities but by the quality of those activities and the fellowship of members.

At the same time, we want to ensure the continuation of the chapter in the future. I am open to suggestions and volunteers to help with the chapter. Thank you for supporting the chapter. I am looking forward to your support and a good year in 2008

We need to maintain our image both as members of the amateur radio community and QCWA. The QCWA is comprised of members that are considered as "Old Timers" and as such should be an example to the newer members of amateur radio community. Amateur radio has allowed us to expand our range of technical knowledge and provided us a chance to act as ambassadors to people all over the world. When we talk to others all over the world, we represent ourselves and our country".

Too many new "hams" have gotten their license at a one-day course/test session combinations with no "Elmer" to guide them. They never go beyond that first license. They never learn the courtesies that amateur radio has developed over the years. Listen to some repeaters and say "Would I want this person to represent me as the first contact to someone outside of the U.S.A.". They have never had a personal challenge to overcome that gives them a sense of accomplishment. Part of our objective is to encourage newer hams and give them an incentive to develop their participation in the hobby.

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LOCAL QCWA NETS
VHF: Saturday 1000 local time
146.850MHz PL 114.8
HF: Sunday 0930 local time
3907KHz

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TREASURER'S REPORT
DATE DESCRIPTION AMOUNT BALANCE
12/31/07 yr end balance 904.52 904.52
01/25/08 1 yr. member renewal 5.00 909.52
01/25/08 1 yr. member new 5.00 914.52
02/21/08 5 yr. member renewal 20.00 934.52
02/21/08 5 yr. supporter renewal 20.00 954.52

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VERTICAL ANTENNA - FREE
W6MMG has a 23-foot Vertical Antenna, free to a good home. The antenna is a Gap "Eagle" vertical antenna - see ad in QST - no traps, no tuning. Works fine on 20-, 15-, and 10-meters. Needs adjusting on 40-meters. Come and get it with your pickup or SUV if you have room. de Al W6MMG phone (650) 593-5683

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ADRIANUS, W6AJS, ON THE MEND AT HOME
Adrianus is recovering from a staph infection in his left arm. He is doing well and his arm is on the mend. He attended our March meeting and was in good shape. Glad to have you back Adrianus.




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MARCH MEETING REPORT.


The March Meeting at Sequoia Yacht Club for the annual St. Patrick's Day luncheon was a great success. We suspended our normal agenda to concentrate on the excellent company and meal. Our hosts at the Yacht Club made us feel at home in the club and provided an excellent meal. From the appetites and remarks afterward, it looks like Corned Beef and Hams make for a great party.

We had over thirty QCWA members and their YLs (or XYLs but not both) in addition to twenty members of the yacht club. We wish to thank the members of Sequoia Yacht Club for inviting us to this annual event.

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The Roger (WA6AFT) Spindler Story.
by: Terry Finn. AA6T

Ladies and Gentlemen. Allow me to present to you our very own Roger Spindler, WA6AFT.

Roger Grant Spindler, 01-28-1930, is a current and active member of QCWA Chapter 11, Northern California. He is the balding, gray haired guy with the pony tail who sits at the head table each month and requests that the whole membership pick up some dill pickles when they go through the food line at the buffet. Those pickles are subsequently packed up and taken home by this man. Our local membership does not know what Roger does with the pickles, however the stories regarding this unusual behavior are many and varied. I especially enjoy the story about how Roger freezes the pickles and makes popsicles out of them to sell at the various ham flea markets in the northern California area. Allow me to tell you a little bit more about our member and friend Roger.

His mother, Janet Loretta Hageman, was born in St. Paul in 1904, attended the University of Minnesota, married and raised her children as one big, happy family. She passed away in 1992 at the age of 89 years.

His father, Howard Franklin Spindler, also from St. Paul, was born December 7, 1902. He attended the Catholic Military College of St. Thomas. He was responsible for building the business known as "Spindler's Juvenile Toys", and actually operated a factory in Minneapolis across the Mississippi river. Howard met and married Janet sometime during the 1920's, however they lost everything during the Depression. Howard took a job as an accountant for a large photo processing company. He ultimately became the head accountant for Haynes Photo and had the opportunity to move with the company to various locations which included such interesting cities as German Town, Pennsylvania; Plainfield, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois and Superior, Wisconsin. In 1935 his father purchased a small business known as "Superior-Benz Liquors" in Superior, Wisconsin. This was a liquor wholesale business that actually had the patent on the tiny, little liquor bottles. Roger can actually remember taking a trip to the Statue of Liberty in New York when he was about four years of age for his birthday. He was able to walk up the spiral stair case in the arm of the Statue. Howard Spindler passed away in 1964 at 62 years of age.

Roger claims that he became interested in radio about this time while living in Superior, Wisconsin. The family had moved to 1911 Tower Ave in Superior. Although they did not know the teenager who lived at 1920 Tower Ave then, Roger met him again years later in South San Francisco. He was only five years older than Roger and it turned out to be well known amateur radio operator Don Johnson, W6AAQ (SK). Later in life, Don mentioned to Roger that he could recall Roger and his siblings from Superior, as they were referred to as: "You were the naughty boys that lived across the street"

Roger's sister is Nancy who was born around Thanksgiving in 1929. She has raised six children over the years and currently lives in Pacifica, California.

Roger's brother is William who was born in February 1932. He worked for United Airlines as a mechanic and raised four girls and one son. He is now retired and living the good life in Phoenix, Arizona.

Roger spent some time with his grand mother living in St. Paul. In 1945 the whole family moved to San Francisco, California because his father was now working for the Marine Air Corps building airstrips throughout the Pacific. Roger had become an avid short wave listener during those few years before the move out west. He even learned the Morse Code while in the Sea Scouts as a teenager. He can recall running wire between friends houses and other places so they could communicate among themselves out along Ocean Ave in San Francisco. Roger graduated from Lick Wilmerdine High School in San Francisco in 1947.

The Pacific Gas & Electric company hired roger in 1948 and he ultimately became a qualified sub station operator for electrical power distribution. He was also trained and qualified as a pole climber, which was a position that he really enjoyed. However, a woman by the name of "Rose Bock", the local head of the Draft Board put a stop to all of Roger's big plans. Although Roger was actually serving in the Navy Reserve (at the age of 17), where he was working on the submarine USS Blower, SS325. Along came Mrs. Bock who pulled 35 names and simply stated, "I have my 35 men, no exceptions, no excuses, no discussion". With that, Roger was drafted into the United States Army in March of 1951.

Roger was given the rank of Private and completed his initial training at Ford Ord. He was then transferred around to such wonderful places as Camp Stoneman near Sacramento, California and subsequently to Fort Mason in San Francisco and then onto the troop transport ship, the President Jefferson. His next stop toward the Korean conflict was in Yokohama, Japan where they picked up winter gear and soon flew on an Army C-47 (DC-3) to Inchon, South Korea. He served in the Korean conflict for six weeks with the 25th Division, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion and "L" (love) Company. His arrival in South Korea on August 13, 1951 was short lived as Roger sustained many serious physical injuries from shell fragments on September 07;& 08; & 09, 1951. He was wounded on his back; right thigh and left foot. Again, on September 10, 1951 he sustained another exploding shell fragment wound to his right scapular area, right flank and thigh. The most serious of the wounds occurred when an enemy hand grenade exploded between his legs causing severe and life threatening injuries. This particular battle, in the vicinity of Tangwon-ni, Korea, was so intense during the period of Sept 6 through 8, 1951, that the Department of The Army issued a Distinguished Unit Citation (see Executive Order 9396. (1943)) It should be noted that 149 men out of 200 in Roger's unit were killed during this horrible battle. Roger was later awarded the following medals and ribbons for his actions. The Purple Heart, 3rd Oak Leaf Cluster (4th award); The Army Good Conduct Medal for his honorable active duty service; the National Defense Service Medal; the United Nations Service Medal; the Republic of Korea-Korean War Service Medal; and of course the Distinguished Unit Citation and 2 bronze service stars with his Korean Service Medal. (Author's note: Please be advised that I have actually researched these amazing achievements on behalf of Roger and have found the written evidence located in file #AR20070004853, which is part of the Department of The Army, Board for Correction of Military Records, 1901 South Bell Street, Arlington, Virginia 22202.) Ladies and Gentlemen of the QCWA, we have a legitimate war hero as part of our little radio group here at Chapter 11.

The Army shipped Roger to Osaka, Japan where he spent three months in an American staffed Army Hospital. When he had healed enough to move, they shipped him to the Army Madigan Hospital at Fort Lewis, Washington where he spent two months before again being moved to Camp Roberts, California for further medical treatment and dental work. He met a lot of other badly injured, but slowly recovering service men at these facilities. While at Camp Roberts, the Army sent him to a variety of schools, including truck driver; movie projectionist; military instructor, etc. They finally made him the foreman of the electrical shop where he actually had two sergeants working under him. One of those sergeants had to be bailed out of the Paso Robles County Jail on a number of occasions by Roger, so he is not a stranger to the criminal justice system.

Roger received his honorable discharge from the Army in December of 1952. He returned to his employment with the Pacific Gas & Electric Company in 1953 as a division operator since he could no longer climb poles due to his extensive leg injuries. One must be aware that Roger came back from his overseas experience a rather bitter and angry man because of the perceived "shafting" he received from the Draft Board as he had already committed himself to the Navy and because he now walked with a distinctive limp and felt that he was severely crippled. Roger had purchased a 1947 Pontiac convertible, maroon in color, in 1949. He used it to travel up to San Francisco on weekends and usually stored it at his sister's home. One of the fellows who would accompany him to The City by the Bay, introduced Roger to a wonderful young nurse who worked at St. Lukes on Army and Valencia in The City. On September 9, 1955, Roger married Joy Loretta Blane. She was probably the best thing that had ever happened to Roger.

They put five per cent down and bought their first home at 2294-46th Ave, San Francisco. That $750.. was Roger's "fox hole pay". Soon, Roger and Joy had a son, Michael Howard Spindler, 09-28-56; then Carol Joy Spindler, 06-15-58; and then Curtin Grant Spindler, born 1962. In 1969 they sold that property and purchased 977 Park Pacifica Ave in Pacifica, where Roger is today. You can't miss his QTH due to the 50 foot tower; TH-34 multi-band beam for 10-15-20 meters; an inverted V on 160 meters and another inverted V for 40-75-80 meters. Roger currently uses an Icom 756proII and has 2 meters & 70 centimeters with APRS in his van. Roger lost his lovely wife and friend Joy on November 1, 2003 to ovarian cancer. He really has not been the same since. But we all still love him anyway.

Roger earned his first amateur radio call sign, WV6AFT on May 29, 1958. That license was good for one year only. When he up-graded to Technician and General six months later, they gave him his current call sign: WA6AFT. He has been a member of the ARRL since 1958. He is or was a member of the QCWA (in fact he is a former President of Chapter 11, Northern California); the Cathay Radio Club located in the American Legion Hall in downtown China town, San Francisco. The Telephone Pioneer Radio Club, (where some members called him "Nasty Roger"); The Coastside ARC and the San Mateo ARC. Roger has kept himself very busy with radio club activities since he retired from PG&E in March 1985. You will note that Roger's call sign is on a 2 meter repeater located on Vollmer Mountain near the Caldecott Tunnel and on an APRS beacon located on the north peak of Montara Mountain in northern San Mateo County. Roger still prefers CW to phone, although he does like to have the voice communication ability from his van. At one time, Roger traded his special CW key to Mr. Stevenson of the original Ham Radio Outlet for a Halicrafters HT-32.

Roger is a rather interesting person to visit with as he has experienced a lot of life. He especially enjoys the type of or class of person involved in amateur radio. Originally it was the technical and experimentation draw to our radio service, however now it is the people who make up our unique hobby or service.

Roger spent time in the Sea Scouts in St. Paul, but it wasn't until he moved to the west coast that he was able to enjoy the water so much with his friends. In fact, he can recall his friend Steve who always took the first place award in the on the water regattas with the blinking lights and moving flags. Roger earned an Eagles badge and it was actually presented to him in 1947 by then Mayor of San Francisco, Roger Lapin. The award presentation took place at the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Roger can specifically recall the mayor saying to him: "From one Roger to another, I'll remember this for the rest of my live".

Roger is an active California Free Mason and belongs to the #30 Lodge, Golden Gate Spraniza. Over the years he has been presented with the 50 year pin, "Golden Veterans Award"; and has been presented with the Hiram Award. He started as a young Mason in 1955 at #673 Lodge, Far West.

The Officers and members of the QCWA, Chapter 11, Northern California, take pride in knowing Roger and having him as a part of our lives and our community.















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