The Radio Club of American (RCA) announced the third winner of the George P. McGinnis award. This year’s award was presented to CTRCM John Albert “Gus” Gustafson, USN (Ret.). of Pensacola, Florida, at his year’s virtual banquet on Saturday November 23, 2019 at the Westin Times Square, New York City. NCVA CRYPTOLOG and Station HYPO extend our sincerest congratulations!
John A. Gustafson bio follows:
CTRCM John A. Gustafson, USN (Ret.)
John Albert “Gus” Gustafson, CTRCM, was born on 27 September in Kane, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Smethport High School in Smethport, Pennsylvania in 1953 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Upon completion of boot camp at USNTC Bainbridge, Maryland, he attended Radioman School, also at Bainbridge.
Upon completion of RM school, he received orders to NRS(R) Bellmore, Long Island, New York. From there his consecutive NAVSECGRU assignments were NRS (R) Cheltenham, Maryland; NSGA Midway Island; NAVCOMMSTA Wahiawa, Hawaii; NSGHQ Washington, D.C.; NAVCOMMSTA Guam; NAVCOMMSTA Honolulu, Hawaii; NTTC Pensacola, Florida; NSGA Adak, Alaska (were he served as Command Master Chief); and back to NTTC Pensacola where he retired as a CTRCM in 1984.
While serving at Wahiawa, he was assigned as Operations Chief for the reorganization of the Pacific High Frequency Direction Finding system into a single Pacific HFDF Net. Gus is entitled to wear the Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Good Conduct Award and the National Defense Service Medal.
Upon his retirement, he opened a small wood-working shop which he operated until 1998. He assumed the duties of NCVA Membership Secretary in 1998, a post he held for several years, and also helped establish the Naval Security Group Cryptologic Display onboard the Center for Information Dominance, Corry Station, Pensacola, Florida. He volunteers at the Cryptologic Display.
He is married to the former Marguerite Clark of Rew, Pennsylvania. They have two children, a daughter and a son and one granddaughter. Gus and his family reside in Pensacola, Florida.
Station HYPO 
8 February 2021 at 03:46
Congratulations, sir! And love the Smethport connection, too. My dad, a 1930 grad, was also a Naval cryptologist who went on active duty in 1939 when the Navy was looking for qualified radio operators in the Naval Reserve to train. He spent 1940-41 as a junior Naval attache in London and then was transferred to Washington about 2 weeks prior to Pearl Harbor. Great folks come from McKean County!
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