A Small World On-Air

You just never know who you'll meet on the air.

I spent about an hour tonight calling CQ on 40 meters, and picked up 10 contacts, including two stations who were working QSO parties in their area.  One station that responded to one of my CQ's was a friendly voice from the state of Georgia, WX4R, Mr. Johnny.  He told me he replied when he heard me say "Mississippi" after a CQ, because, in his words, he knows some real nice people in Mississippi. 

Mr. Johnny had deployed to Pearl River County in 2005 for Hurricane Katrina.  At the time, he was an emergency management director in Georgia.

What a small world.

My entire adult/professional life has been in emergency response/emergency management.  I was deployed to Hancock County, Mississippi, a neighboring county to Pearl River County, as part of my duties with my job.  Of the hundreds and hundreds of contacts in my log, Mr. Johnny makes the second "Katrina connection" that I've had. 

As amateurs, we share a common hobby.  Occasionally we find that we share other interests, or even professions.  I think it's very rare to have an on-air discovery of common disaster experiences.

So, if you read this Mr. Johnny, you again have my thanks as well as the thanks of the citizens of this great state.  Mississippians owe a huge debt to so many others across the nation for their support in those dark and trying days in late 2005 and early 2006.