Leonard Morgan

LtCol USAF

I spent 21 years in the USAF as a Fighter Pilot. When I departed Bergstrom AFB, TX to checkout in the F-105 Thurderchief Aircraft, I completed the training and was transferred to the 388th Tac Fighter Wing in Korat Royal Thai AB, Thailand where I flew the majority of my combat missions over North Viet Nam. During that time, I operated the MARS Station at Korat, when I was not flying combat, and ran phone patches with Barry Goldwater's station in the Phoenix, AZ area. After that, my association with MARS terminated due to my responsibilities as a Commander. While at Bergstrom AFB, TX,in the 1966/67 era, my members and I set up a phone patch capability with the KWM-2A, 30 S1 linear and Log Periodic antenna to assist with Viet Nam phone patch traffic into the center of the United States.

During the phone patch era, it was a blessing to be able to talk with parents and family as there were no cell phones, "E" mail capability or any of the current day communications capabilities. Many of my fellow pilots and enlisted staff appreciated this opportunity to talk with their love ones back home on a real time basis, as it took 2 weeks for a letter to make a round trip to the states.

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