Commemorating a Lifetime of Goodness:
Nate Brightman K6OSC
Found in the pages of the Independent
Press Telegram of Long Beach, California on Sunday, June 3,
1962, is a short story of one man’s beginnings. “He
has a small neat home, a wife Evelyn, a daughter Lynn, and a
son Howard. He’s what you would call a ‘good guy.’
He probably won’t make the cover of a national magazine,
but maybe he should. You get a good feeling about him from some
of the things he does.” The article, titled “The
Life of a Salesman Leads Blind to World of Sound,” pays
tribute to one “good guy” we can all share a good
feeling about the many things he has done since.
Nate Brightman, K6OSC, has contributed over 50 years of active
committed service to the world of amateur radio and his community
since he and his son, Howard (K6OSD), were first licensed together
in 1957. In addition to numerous public services, Mr. Brightman
is probably best known for his commendable involvement with
the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach, W6RO, and the Wireless
Radio Room aboard the historic Queen Mary.
When the City of Long Beach purchased the Queen Mary from Great
Britain in 1967, Nate imagined bringing the ARALB and Amateur
Radio to the celebration of the luxury liner’s final voyage.
He began his work with local and foreign officials to bring
his dream to life. On December 9, 1967, Al Lee (W6KQI) of the
ARALB, arrived in Long Beach, CA with the Queen Mary using the
call sign GB5QM, granted by the British General Post Office,
as the first licensed American amateur operator aboard an English
vessel.
Nate’s adoration of the Queen Mary’s history and
glamour led to his submitted proposal in 1974, to then Operations
Director, Marvin Wolff, requesting permission to refurbish the
ship’s Radio Room to recreate an authentic home for Amateur
Radio. Nate worked alongside club members and ship staff to
bring the reconstruction to its Grand Opening on April 22, 1979,
as the Official Wireless Radio Room. Hams have kept operations
running daily as station volunteers for W6RO ever since for
fellow Amateur Radio operators, tourists and the community.
For his lifelong work aboard the Queen Mary, Nate has been recognized
for his “Leadership, Guidance, and Wisdom in the Successful
Operation of W6RO” in 1999 by Joseph Prevratil, CEO of
Queen Mary Foundation, in combination with a “Certificate
of Appreciation of Service” as Station Manager of the
Queen Mary Wireless Room by the ARALB, also in 1999. Today a
sign hangs in the window aboard the Queen Mary that reads, “Nate
Brightman Wireless Room, 40 Years of Distinguished Service 1967-2007”
given in honor to Nate during his 90th birthday party.
Over the past decades, Nate has had
other loves along with the Queen Mary’s Radio Room as
proven in his continuous active Amateur Radio and community
outreach and involvement, earning him quite a list of recognitions.
These include, The American Radio Relay League’s “Public
Service Award” (1973), ARALB’s “Radio Amateur
of the Year Award” (1982), ARRL Southwestern Division’s
“Commendation Award” (1985), the “Special
Achievement Award” at the Dayton Hamvention Banquet (1991),
Southwestern Division’s “Meritorious Service Award”
(1993), “Certificates of Appreciation” for service
as General Chairman of The ARRL Division Convention (1995),
as well as for Earthquake/Disaster Preparedness Presentations
as an American Red Cross Volunteer (1997), “Certificate
of Recognition” from the City of Paramount in assisting
with the disaster relief and recovery during the April 18th
“Micro Wind Burst” (2000), “Life Membership
Recognition” with ARALB (2001), “Volunteer of the
Month” from the Long Beach Chapter of the American Red
Cross (2005), Author’s Certification for his article “Up
Front: W6RO—The Public Relations Station” from QST
Magazine’s November Issue (2006), and recently, “The
McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award” for his outstanding
“Volunteer Public Relations Effort on Behalf of Amateur
Radio” in 2009 at age 92.
In between these acknowledgements, Nate has worked alongside
Long Beach city officials to assist in collaborative efforts
to maintain Amateur Radio Operators service to local communications.
At his initiative, ARALB has supported events such as the Long
Beach Annual Marathon since 1982, as well as create Operation
Library, a three year program designed to provide demo radio
stations for Hams in city libraries. Nate has represented ARALB
as President in 1966, 1976 and 1977, served for several years
as a member of the Board, and as was elected President of the
Long Beach IBM Users Group from 1999-2001. For many years, he
contributed efforts to canned food collection for the City of
Signal Hill’s food drive for the needy. In international
service efforts, Nate’s participated in coordinating the
transportation for a blood clotting medicine, Hemophil, to Costa
Rica earning him press worthy attention, discovered a commandeered
tuna boat in a Peruvian port, ran phone patches to families
in Long Beach for sailors aboard the Battleship, New Jersey
on its journey to Vietnam.
No one award or offering of recognition can capture the immense
gratitude and admiration worthy of Nate Brightman, that “good
guy” whose now, much larger, home on Gaviota Avenue houses
a life of large contributions. Over the seas and lands, through
the airwaves and among fellow hands of men and women, Nate reminds
us of one simple rule we all strive to follow. “Good feelings”
come from the honest love and dedication to the selfless partnering
of the hobby of Amateur Radio and community service—as
lived in Nate’s lifelong practice of doing what’s
good because it’s good, nothing more, and nothing less.
