ajor General Loren G. Windom
W 8GZ
1 9 0 5 -1 9 8 8 o f
Reynoldsburg, Ohio a suburb ofColumbus. Windom’s article on thewire antenna has served tw ogenerations and more since his article
in QST Sept. 1929. He had wonderful
success on 40 Meters at that time withvery low power and had the throngs
wondering how he was accomplishing
the feat!

M

As a pre-war guardsman
Windom then serving
1940-45 commander ofthe 145th Infantry. Lateron the 37th Adjutant
General of Ohio in1959, appointed byGovernor.
The Windom antenna(off center fed) hasnever lost any favor andmore recently someGerman designs haveaugmented the wireonce more in the limelight. My first inkling of the antenna was as a boy starting out in Trenton NJ (W2RIE) our groupused the Windom with success.
The General enjoyed the Ohio Section
traffic nets & Dxing. He could be foundfrequently passing messages *(QTC).
Jim W8GRI sent along the station photo of
the General taken in 1957.
W8GRI said, “I got my ticket in 1947,
Loren was my neighbor and helped me getstarted.”
Mid Middelton W8UA and W7ZC wrote;
Franklin Avenue in Columbus lies in thesoutheastern part of Columbus Ohio, in1925 it was a pleasant street of two-story
homes and many trees. Walking along thestreet and approaching number 1375, any observant person would have had his attention drawn to
the slim and towering masts that reared up on the narrow city lot. A path lead around the Windomhome and to the building at he rear of the city lot, a two car garage.
Continued on page two.

There was an inviting door on the west section. A single-wire antenna feeder dropped down froma flat-top antenna to a glass wall panel, thence into the shack.
Loren G. WIndom, owner and operator of 8ZG/8GZ was usually to be found in his ham station,
unless he was attending law classes at Ohio State University.
A knock on the door or a whistled CQ would bring a hearty “Come in” to visitors. Sometimes it took
a couple of knocks if there were sounds of ham business from inside the shack, as there usually were.
The 1925 shack of Windy’s (like so many others) had an atmosphere that was sheer magic; to be
there was both exciting and challenging. To those of us who did not have these deluxe facilities, andthus had a much lower order of ham performance, 8GZ represented the ultimate.
There was no doubt about it, the Windom shack was simple, but this simplicity it displayed an airof power and efficiency which made the station outstanding in the world. Middelton said “I first met
Windom in 1924 when we both attended the National Guard Encampment at Camp Knox KY. We
were noncoms; Windom with the Headquarters Company 37th Division Ohio and I with the 38thDivision Signal Company from Indianapolis.”
In 1926 it was my privilege to visit 8GZ and when, in 1927, my residence was Columbus, many
delightfully exciting hours were spent in the Windom home shack. Another of the memorable
aspects of visiting Windy was the welcome received in the shack and in the Windom home. Loren’s
parents, Forrest and Bertha Windom, were not only hospitable but they were encouraging to Loren
and to any visitor who was a ham. The Windom’s always
provided appropriate snacks or beverages, regardless of theseason, and meals were served to suit the operators. Suchgenuine hospitality made 8GZ a pleasant place to visit. The
aroma of Mrs. Windom’s cooking often drew us away fromthe key and headphones into the kitchen.
As evidence of the reception given to ham radio by theWindom’s, I recall one day when Windy was grinding
quartz crystals, right on the kitchen table. That’s about as
tolerant as attitude as you can find! I would like to offer along delayed tribute to Mr and Mrs Windom, who playedsuch an important part in our early lives and our great
hobby and to all the long suffering parents of hams.

Thanks to www.w8jyz.com for the W8GZ Windom card.
Thanks to A. David Middelton W7ZC scripted
most of the data from memory. 8AOI Windom card
postmarked 1921.

W8SU 2007 added 2017