Subject: Re: Gene Wiggins & Herb Brier
From: Marvin Beach
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 09:09:28 -0400
To: Stan Vandiver W4SV

Hi Stan:

... some text omitted

Yes, it is strange regarding Herb Brier, W9EGQ.  I was looking for something
a couple of months ago to present to the "Old Friends Ham Luncheon"   For
some reason, I came across an idea to present info on Herb Brier, W9EGQ and
also, John T. Frye, W9EGV.  I decided on this because Herb was kind of a
mentor to me in the early 1960's.  I loved to get those Popular Electronics
magazines and read his informative articles.  I really learned a lot from
his writings.  I lived in the country in Spartanburg, S.C. and had some
local ham contacts, but a lot of my knowledge of ham radio came from Herb's
writings.  Of course, John T. Frye had his " Carl and Jerry" stories in
Popular Electronics also.   Any article with W9EGQ, Herb Brier's call caught
my immediate attention.  He had a style of writing that was the best!

I was fortunate to work Herb one afternoon in the early 1970's from Valpo
Tech.  I am thinking the band was 75 meters.  I was tuning around and heard
the call W9EGQ which sure rang a bell.  I gave Herb a call, and he came
back.  I was so shocked and kind of nervous to actually be talking to a man
that I considered a great ham and a mentor of mine.  I recall mentioning
something about reading his articles and recognizing his call.  He seemed to
take everything in stride and not once bragging about the many things he had
accomplished.  We must have chatted for at least half and hour.  For some
reason, I didn't get a QSL for that contact.  I don't even recall if I ever
sent him a W9SAL card or not.  I sure wish I had a card for that contact
today.  I logged everything in the logbook at W9SAL and that book remained
there when I left Valparaiso Tech.  I have all the other logs from my ham
career except that one.

At this time, I don't know that I have any info on Herb that you don't have.
The fact that you are reprinting those articles is really "outstanding".  I
am going to enjoy those and will still get a lot of info from them.  What
Herb did continues to amaze me.  I don't know when I learned of his physical
condition.  It could have been in one of Larry Hall's or Gene Wiggins
classes at Valpo Tech.  Larry Hall is now SK, but was a ham also.  John T.
Frye was another amazing individual.

I will be back in contact.

Thanks much,

73,
Marvin W. Beach, N4NY