James Littleton Named 2015 Scema “Amateur Radio Operator Of The Year”

Littleton’s Son, Matthew, Follows In Father’s Footsteps, Continuing Amateur Radio Leadership, Tradition And Legacy

ANDERSON COUNTY, SC – The South Carolina Emergency Management Association selected James Littleton as the 2015 Amateur Radio Operator of the Year during their 2015’s Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach. The Award was presented to Littleton by his son, Matthew Littleton, Deputy Emergency Manager for Anderson County, who had submitted the nomination.  Matthew also had the opportunity to present the award to his father during the Awards Banquet.

“If I have done any good for my community, if I have positively impacted our response capability in any way, or if I have made our community more resilient, it is because of the investment my Dad made in me,” said Matthew.  “I can only hope to follow in his footsteps and impact the lives of so many though my children, as he has with me.”

A resident of Pickens County, James Littleton has followed the fundamentals of amateur radio for at least 40 years and is responsible for making a difference in the entire region.  He has lead communication efforts in the Western Piedmont Emergency Management Taskforce and as an integral member of the South Carolina Disaster Relief Communications Unit, participating in emergency incidents and teaching his craft during training events.

James Littleton was raised in a typical textile family in Pickens, South Carolina.  During his childhood, he explored the hobby of Amateur Radio and eventually earned his Amateur Radio license.  Upon graduating High School, he was drafted into the Navy, where he put his skills as a radio operator to the test while serving aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) during the Vietnam War.  Remember, the internet was not yet invented during the Vietnam War, so the only form of ship-to-shore communication was via HF military radio circuits.  After his military tenure was completed, James continued honing his skills by helping other Amateur Radio operators install and maintain repeaters and various, other amateur radio equipment.

Today, Littleton remains active with the SC Baptist Disaster Relief Team, Communications Unit, the Anderson Radio Club, Navy Marine Corps MARS, and the Anderson County Emergency Management AUXCOMM program. Currently, he serves as the President of the Anderson Radio Club and is the “ECOM” (Emergency Communications) Officer for South Carolina Navy Marine Corps MARS. As the ECOM officer, he is responsible for ensuring licensed amateur radio operators within the MARS program are trained and prepared to provide communications for the entire State of South Carolina.

Matthew continued, “I may be partial to my Dad, but I submit that my Dad began more than 40 years ago and continues to invest his life into aspiring Amateur Radio operators as well the future of the Amateur Radio Community. I would not be the person I am today, nor would I have the opportunities I have today were it not for my Dad’s influence.”