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Radio
Broadcast Technical Consulting and Sales |
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Mark Persons |
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| I was born in Duluth, Minnesota April 12, 1947. Our family moved to Ely, Minnesota in 1954 where we owned and operated WELY Radio until 1959. We moved to Los Angeles, California, Edina, Minnesota, and Marshfield, Wisconsin, where I graduated from high school and went on to one year of college. | |
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As a soldier in the U.S. Army, I arrived in the Republic of Viet-Nam in April of 1968 shortly after the Tet offensive and just days before my 21st birthday. It was a tough year, but I lived through it. The music of the 1960's was GREAT. I've gained 40 pounds since weighing in at less than 130 pounds back then. |
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I was in the 73rd Aviation Company of the 210th Aviation Battalion in Viet-Nam and helped maintain radios and other electronic equipment on the U.S. Army’s OV-1 Mohawk aircraft. |
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This photo
of me was taken when I was a young Sergeant,
in charge of an avionics repair shop.
It was a 12 hour per day/ 7 day a week job plus emergencies.
After three years of military service, I returned to civilian life thankful to be home and alive. |
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The OV-1 Mohawk is a twin turboprop surveillance aircraft with a crew of two. It operated mostly at night taking radar and infrared photographs. A SLAR (Side Looking Airborne Radar) pod is shown on the second photo of a Mohawk. These aircraft were last flown, in military service, in the Gulf War. They chalked up an impressive record, but were retired shortly thereafter. The few remaining Mohawks are in the hands of aviation collectors. Many are still flying. Some of those are at the American Wings Air Museum at the Anoka/Blaine Airport on the north side of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Also see the OV-1 Mohawk Association web page and a history of the OV-1 in Vietnam. |
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A
Mohawk Association 1999 reunion Member
of the American Legion |
Back in civilian life, I worked as Chief Engineer at KVBR Radio in Brainerd, MN. I had helped my father build this station while I was in high school in 1964. Later, I met Paula Timman of Brainerd and we were married in 1978. I had been doing engineering work for other stations in Minnesota and finally went full time into Technical Consulting in 1979. |
| I have always been a TEKSPLORER (Technology Explorer). The path led me through electronics and into computers. | |
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The business end of a space shuttle One of the really fun things I have done was to attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. It was four days of intense instruction for a group of about 15 adults. We trained for and flew two simulated space shuttle missions. One mission was as ground control and the other was as a shuttle crew. Training was done in actual shuttle trainers.
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My current hobbies include ham radio and website writing. |
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Questions and Answers:
What is your name? Mark
Persons
Do you have any nicknames? Radiodoc
When is your birth date? April 12th
Tell us about your family. Wife Paula and cat Josie.
What do you do in your free time? What free time? Oh,
Ham Radio
Regular or decaf? Regular with cream and sugar
What is your rule to live by? The work does
not get done unless you do it.
What is your favorite TV show? Modern Marvels
What is your favorite movie? Blazing Saddles
What was your first job? Fixing a neighbor's stereo
system.
Do you have any hidden talents? Writing websites.
If a movie was made of your life, who would play you? Wally Cox, but he
is long since dead.
What was your most embarrassing moment? I try not to remember any.
What is the favorite place you have visited? Duluth, MN
What place have you always wanted to visit? ARRL Headquarters in
Newington, CT.
What is the best advice you have ever received? Don't take life too
seriously.
What is the worst advice you have ever received? Become a radio
announcer.
What is your favorite food? German.
If you were on death row, what would be your last meal? Tombstone Pizza!
If you were on the cover of a magazine, which one would it be? Radio
World
Growing up, what did you want to be? An architect
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Questions?
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page last edited 04/02/2008
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