Interested in Ham Radio since high school.  I had already built a couple of tube superhet receiver.  Convinced my dad to get a CB license (KKD5405) and played with antennas.  

 

A neighbor down a couple of blocks was a ham, and lent me his crystal controlled transmitter, and receiver.

 

Enough said about that, but didn't get my license until 1978.  Even though my first assignment in the USAF was at the Presidential Communications receiver site in Brandywine Maryland.  Talk about antennas !! I also had control of the 10KW transmitters that supported Air Force One, but only did signal testing.

 

Got my First Class FCC license in 1978 as well, as I was scheduled to move to the HF bench and Radar bench for Collins Radio Service Center in NY.  After receiving my first RF burn (on purpose by my mentor) and then promply told me to be careful working around RF, I made sure that I would never get one again.

 

Got my code down enough to get my novice license (WD2AJX).  Didn't have it long and upgraded to General Class (N2AIE) and have kept the call all these years, even though I now live in Zero Land.