Inducted: April 1993
SK Date: January 2023
Fred Laun (Alfred A. Laun, III), K3ZO is a consistent presence on the bands in any DX Contest. Laun was first licensed in 1952 as WN9SZR and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a BA in Political Science / Journalism in 1962. He became a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Information Agency in 1963 and retired in 1988, receiving the Secretary of State’s Award in 1974.
Laun was notable for his operations during his foreign service posting to various countries. Dominican Republic (HI8XAL), Argentina (LU5HFI), Thailand (HS1ABD)
Fred was seized by terrorists during his time in Argentina. The guerillas took his radio and antenna. Fred was heard to comment later that the one thing that worried him the most when he was shot and abducted was saving the logs for his LU5HFI operation.
He received this letter from President Richard Nixon
Laun was one of the main driving forces behind the legalization of amateur radio in Thailand in its early days and had always provided counsel and financial support to the local Thai ham radio community.
Here is a recording of Fred in the 2021 All Asia Contest 2021 (recorded by KM3T)