In Memoriam

Bus Etheridge, K4IX, was the “Founding Father” of the USS Wisconsin Radio Club.  Without his drive and determination, our club would simply not exist.  In 2001, he was named “Ham of the Year” by the Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club.  Bus was active in many amateur radio activities, including local Field Day operations.  He was an avid CW operator. As a tribute, his call sign is now used by the Virginia DX Century Club.

Jack Main, W4YCZ, became a silent key on March 28, 2009, at age 81.  He was a native Virginia Gentleman and a resident of Norfolk.  Jack retired from the National Weather Service after 40 years of dedicated service as a meteorologist, spending more than 20 years of that time at sea on Coast Guard Cutters in the North Atlantic Weather Patrol.  He was also a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps.  Jack was an amateur radio operator for more than 57 years and was a member of ARRL, DXCC, QCWA, and the USS Wisconsin Radio Club.  Jack, and his XYL of 25 years, Sally, N4VIY, were strong supporters of the USS Wisconsin Radio Club, attending virtually every meeting.  In fact, Jack was Club Secretary for ten years.

Salvatore L. Yorks, WD4NZX, became a silent key on June 9, 2013. He was born in Michigan, spent most of his life in upstate New York, and moved to Virginia Beach in 2000 to join his future wife, Jackie Gilmartin. Sal was both a communications and a computer specialist as the owner of his firm, SLY Communications. His work took him to many exotic locales throughout the world. Sal was President of the USS Wisconsin Radio Club at the time of his death. During his tenure, Sal handled negotiations with the City of Norfolk and was instrumental in securing the Flag Admin on the 03 level of the ship as the radio shack for N4WIS.

Jim Wise, W4PRO, became a Silent Key on December 31, 2014. He had been a cornerstone of the ham radio community in Hampton Roads for many years. Jim operated onboard the USS Wisconsin during our special events until his health prevented it. A veteran of the United States Air Force, Jim entered civilian life with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he worked until retiring in 1988. Jim was licensed as an amateur radio operator in 1946. Originally W8YHV, Jim held the instantly-recognizable call sign W4PRO since 1949. In addition to being a stalwart of the USS Wisconsin Radio Club, Jim was also a member of the Virginia DX Century Club, the A1 Operator Club, the Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club, the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), and the First-Class CW Operators Club (FOC). Jim is perhaps best known for his participation in many DXpeditions including Easter Island as CE0/W4PRO (1981), from the Dodecanese Islands (Rhodes) as SV5/W4PRO (1992), and from Syria as YK9A (2001). He also operated as VP2MDX (1973), FG0CXV/FS (1976), VP5VEC (1991), 9N7PR and A52PRO (2004). A Life Member of ARRL, Jim was Assistant Director of the Roanoke Division. His amateur radio interests included antennas, station design, DX (mostly CW), and, of course, contesting as a formidable competitor. He was on the DXCC Honor Roll, had 5BDXCC, and had WAS and DXCC on 160 meters.

Charlie Chapman, W1WTG, became a Silent Key on May 21, 2016, following a long valiant battle against recurring cancer. He was born in Augusta, Maine, and he remained loyal to his home state throughout his lifetime, returning to visit many times. After graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in engineering physics, Charlie began his Navy career working at GE Ordnance in Massachusetts. He later went into Civil Service for the Department of Defense, working with Navy Admirals. He retired as an Electrical Engineer Supervisor. Charlie was involved in many civic, sports, and alumni organizations. He was especially active in promoting and attending hamfests, both local and up and down the east coast. Charlie was named “Ham of the Year” by the Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club (VBARC) in 1999. He was also a member of PVRC, Chapter 119 of QCWA, and, of course, the USS Wisconsin Radio Club. Charlie not only donated his time to our club, he also donated a great deal of high-quality radio equipment, including Collins gear. Whenever we had a special operating event on BB-64, Charlie was always there.

Jack Main, W4YCZ, became a silent key on March 28, 2009, at age 81. He was a native Virginia Gentleman and a resident of Norfolk. Jack retired from the National Weather Service after 40 years of dedicated service as a meteorologist, spending more than 20 years of that time at sea on Coast Guard Cutters in the North Atlantic Weather Patrol. He was also a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Jack was an amateur radio operator for more than 57 years and was a member of ARRL, DXCC, QCWA, and the USS Wisconsin Radio Club. Jack, and his XYL of 25 years, Sally, N4VIY, were strong supporters of the USS Wisconsin Radio Club, attending virtually every meeting. In fact, Jack was Club Secretary for ten years.