Milestones: W3AZD, 4U1UN

Don Search, W3AZD, best-known as the administrator of the ARRL's DXCC Award for some 15 years, became a Silent Key in late March. According to Newsline, Don had been at a rehabilitation center in Florida after suffering a fall last December. Search was also a checkpoint for CQ awards.
 

On the good news side of things, the YASME Foundation presented its Excellence Award in early March to James Sarte, K2QI, and Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA, for their work in reactivating 4U1UN, the amateur radio station at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The award was presented at the UN by YASME Foundation Director Martti Laine, OH2BH, and ARRL Hudson Division Director Ria Jairam, N2RJ. The event also featured the first-ever FT8 operation from 4U1UN, with WSJT-X developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, at the keyboard. After the UN event, Adrian and Martti joined two other hams for a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands to reactivate the call of DXpedition pioneer (and YASME namesake) Danny Weil, VP2VB. See Adrian's story of that trip in our May issue.

YASME Excellence Award presentation ceremony at the United
Nations in early March. From left: Sandro Nitoi, VE7NY; Peter
Dougherty, W2IRT; ARRL Hudson Division Director Ria Jairam,
N2RJ; WSJT-X developer Joe Taylor, K1JT; award recipients
James Sarte, K2QI, and Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA; YASME
Foundation director Martti Laine, OH2BH, and Philip Dale,
G6CBR. (Photo courtesy YASME Foundation via OH2BH)