Biography

I am a retired American History teacher, after having 39 years in the classrooms of Penfield Central School System. I have happily been an 8th grade AMERICAN HISTORY teacher who found the perfect spot for me to teach as I loved the kids. I was educated for this with a couple of degrees at The State University of New York, college at Brockport. I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and currently live in Fairport, New York near the city of Rochester. As I like to say, when DXing: "Gene, Gulf Echo November Echo, on the shore of Lake Ontario". My wife is a librarian and I have four adult children, two of which, are also librarians. I love to talk all kinds of subjects on my Kenwood TS 850S. I am a relatively new ham here, however I began building Knight shortwave kits in the early 1960s and finially have my license to operate on the air, which was a lifelong dream of mine. I am impressed with the friendship and good will of the ham community. I love this. I have much to learn and am readily interested in basics of radio and application of the things I learned over the many years I was an avid SWL. I have continued my interest in amateur radio now as the result of my retirement. So, hello and 73's to my ham friends as well as the many I have yet to meet.
The PB2Y call sign reflects my connection to flying boats and a particularly Squadron: VR-2 of the Naval Air Transport Service. This squadron operated Coronado flying boats in the Pacific Theatre during WWII and my father served as a flight engineer. I came to know many of the fine men who comprised the squadron through my father and additionally participating in reunions. I was welcomed as an historian for VR-2 Squadron as the men decided, since I was a history teacher, they would bestow on me many of their stories, adventures and thoughts and logs of their time during the war. I became further involved when I was invited to join the Flying Boats Organization and met individuals other than VR-2 Squadron men. I became involved with and participated in the restoration of a PB2Y Coronado the Naval Air Museum recently added to their collection in Pensacola, Florida. I used what I learned and wove into my history teaching the role of Naval Air Transport in serving and supplying our endeavor in the Pacific War. My email: genelbenoit@gmail.com