Field Day 2005!!

It’s the annual on-air Ham Radio Jamboree called FIELD DAY!! 24 hours straight of gleaning contacts from the hostile airwaves…. every bearing in mind that you, out in the middle of nowhere without the benefits of personal comforts and civilized fare, could REALLY be working distant stations in some sort of far-fetched emergency where the entire world’s communications infrastructure breaks down to the point where all that’s left between the end of mankind and the furthering of our legacy is HAM RADIO.

Field day – you’re in a world where some future President is pacing in his secret, underground war room, wiping sweat off of his brow, watching the Joint Chiefs argue about military strategy. 3/4’s of the US population is dead or dying, and his country is in shambles. He takes off his glasses, looks at his cheif of staff, and says “God Dammit, man…. I need to know what the weather is like in Ottumwa, Iowa and I need it now”. The chief nods at the Supreme Commander of the Army, who speaks into a telephone. In a few moments, the 5 star general beseeches the president: “I’m sorry…. We don’t know, sir. Most of America’s radio amateurs perished in the initial attack. It seems their impressive defensive shield of picnic tables, nylon tents and camping trailers sucummed to the radioactive heat just as fast as the rest of our Republic’s infrastructure.”

“Damn!” sputtered the president, pounding is fist on the table….”What the hell was I thanking these nerds for back in 2005 if all they could offer was a tent, a radio and some egg salad sandwiches?”