By Barbara Campbell

As best I can gather, this whole “Green T-shirt Story” goes back to a couple of crusin’ rascals, Don, KBSPSQ/Hagar and Tim, KC6PXN/Scallywag. In about 1994, somewhere North in the Bay of LA where cruisers staying the summer seem to congregate, Don and Tim had a casual conversation about fellow Hams who tended to be on the radio an inordinate amount of time (less politely, motor mouths). Don, with his usual dry humor, made a spin on the phrase, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

Don says that Tim ran with the idea and it became, “Help, I’ve started talking and I can’t shut up.” Although later many thought the GREEN T to be badge of dishonor or joke, Tim says his original intent was to create an a word for “radio enthusiasm” above and beyond the call of duty. According to some sources, it is rather clear that Bear, KE6PH/Oceania, ever-present on the radio, was the first in a long line of Hams giving way to a phenomenon known as, “Help, I’ve started talking and can’t shut up.” As the winter cruising season drew to an end, Poy, WP2F/Nighthawk, manager of the Sonriso Net, turned the care of the Sonrisa Net over to Bear as Temporary Net Manager. Folks say something overtook Bear with that appointment and he began to talk and talk AND talk, prompting Tim to present him the very first GREEN T at Tenacatita in 1995. The shirt, as the name indicates, is green, very large, one-size-fits all with bold white lettering telling the world that the winner (whose call sign is on the T) is a victim of the, “Help, I’ve started talking and can’t shut up,” syndrome. Bear established a tradition by passing the GREEN T on to a recipient who was on the airwaves as much as himself, adding their call sign under his own.

And so it has gone one to the next. Bear presented the GREEN T to Joe, WA5PHO/Sea Hope in 1996. Following suit, in 1997, Joe passed the award to yet another motor mouth of the airwaves, Larry, KE6KDR/Cherish. (Gee, this is starting to sound like one of those biblical genealogies!)

Lorry returned the GREEN T to whence it first came by giving it in 1998 to Tim, KC6PXN/Scallywag. (I guess there’s truth in the saying, what goes around comes around.) It is rumored that Tim tried to avoid the GREEN T but was snagged at the entrada to Puerto Vallarta for an Impromptu presentation. The GREEN T finally made it’s way to Loreto Fest in May of 1998, becoming a regular award associated with the Loreto Fest Ham Test (dubbed by Tim as the “Pig Test Ham Roost.”)

There was some discussion about the impropriety of the SHIRT being awarded twice in the some year but it seems the authority of awarding the shirt rests solely with the current guardian/recipient. 1998 was a very busy year on the airwaves, judging by the number of nominees for motor mouth. There was Carol, KF6TQM/Princess New York and Judy, KE6WCI/Steppin’ Out: best friends who were so inseparable on the airways that ya’ hadda’ hit the “edgewise button” to get in. Then there was me, KB0RIZ (Radio-IZ), radio maniac.

I had advanced from Tech-Plus Class to General Class License in Mazatlan a month prior to the Puerto Escondido fest where I passed 20 wpm code as well as written elements for both Advanced and Extra Class license. And, last but not least, there was Marty, KD6RGV/Cloud Nine, motor mouth deluxe. I told Marty he was the thorn among us roses (just kidding Marty). Oh, and there was on honorable mention, Stef/U Betcha who is known now as NT7E. Stef, much to her surprise, passed the 20 wpm code test while warming up for the 13 wpm test! But, wouldn’t ya’ know, she wasn’t prepared for the written elements. As a result, she had one year to go from zip to Extra Class license in order to retain credit for her 20 wpm code! Of course, she did it: piece of cake. The handmaidens bowed to the passage of the GREEN T from Tim, to Marty that year and at Fest 1999, Marty broke a bit of tradition, setting aside all the “HA-HA-motor-mouth funny-stuff” associated with awarding the GREEN T. He elevated the significance of the GREEN T by presenting it to one individual whose dedication to helping fellow cruisers, and Ham radio, had eclipsed the call of duty; the one and only Mel, AE7ML/T-N-Honey. At Fest 2000, Mel once again broke another tradition by passing the GREEN-T to, as they say in “radio talk,” a YL, a Young Lady! Remember the gal who passed the 2O wpm code on her first try? Yep, you got it. Mel passed the GREEN T to none other than Stef, NT7E/U Betcha, the voice of the Southwest (so dubbed by an old time Ham, Ed, W6TPE). WHEW! That was a lot of history bringing us to the here and now, guessing you know that Stef, in 2001, loaded me up with the GREEN T. Folks have reported hearing me a time or two on the radio. Hummmm, I wonder who will be next???

END OF STORY....FOR NOW!