An amateur radio enthusiast (K7UGA) wanted to become President of the United States!

 Barry Goldwater, an avid amateur radio operator (call sign K7UGA), sought to become President of the United States. He was the Republican Party's official nominee in the 1964 presidential election, running against incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Barry Morris Goldwater (1909–1998) was a United States Senator from Arizona and one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century. Considered the father of modern conservatism in the U.S., he was the presidential candidate in 1964.

In addition to his political career, Goldwater was a passionate ham radio enthusiast and an active operator with the callsign K7UGA. A staunch advocate for amateur radio, he supported key laws that protected amateur radio antennas and promoted the use of the spectrum for emergency communications. For him, radio was not just a hobby, but a vital public service tool.

His legacy lives on in both American political history and the global amateur radio community.

During World War II, Barry Goldwater served in the United States Army Air Corps and left the service with the rank of major general in the Air Force Reserve. Barry Goldwater was an amateur radio operator (holding call signs K7UGA, K3UIG, and AFC6BG), a member of the ARRL since 1923, and a member of MARS (U.S. Air Force Military Affiliate Radio System). In 1971, he became president of the Quarter Century Wireless Association.

The Air Force Military Auxiliary Radio System (AFMARS) is a Department of Defense-sponsored program managed by the Air Combat Command. It utilizes civilian volunteer amateur radio operators who use their own high-frequency (HF) equipment to provide contingency and emergency radio communications for the military. 

Mission and Operations

Contingency Support: Provides reliable, on-demand HF radio communication backups for the Department of Defense when primary or conventional systems are stressed, disrupted, or unavailable. 
Global Voice/Data Net: Operates continuous networks supporting official Department of Defense operations, disaster response, and specialized radio-telephone patches. 
Volunteer Integration: Staffed primarily by licensed civilian "ham" radio operators who donate time, technical expertise, and personal station assets. 
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