Bill Gremillion (Grem-e-yon) 1921-1970, was a resident of Newnan, Georgia, and responsible for raising awareness of Amateur Radio in the Coweta County area. Serving as a mentor or "Elmer," many new radio enthusiasts earned their HAM license thanks to Bill's time and the effort invested in them. Bill, or "Gremie," as he was also known, was a native of Bunkie, Louisiana, and enlisted in the Army National Guard at age 18. During World War II, Bill served in the European Theatre as a driver for General George Patton, using the French language he grew up speaking in Louisiana to assist General Patton while in France. Bill also spent many years working with the Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS). MARS was a civilian auxiliary consisting primarily of licensed amateur radio operators who were interested in assisting the military with communications on a regional and national level when access to traditional forms of communication may not have been available. The MARS program also included active duty, reserve, and National Guard units; and Navy and Marine Corps units, but was closed in 2015 and no longer exists.
Bill was an electrician by trade. He obtained his HAM license in the 1950s and was assigned the call sign K4SEX. This call sign was assigned in the standard sequential order that the FCC uses and was not a Vanity Call Sign. For obvious reasons, Bill's wife, Cornelia, asked Bill to request a new call sign, which was assigned in the 1960s. K4SEX remains active as a Special Event Station with the club and you may hear it on the air from time to time.
Unfortunately, Bill passed away in 1970 at only 49 years old. While there are only a few remaining club members who knew him, the Bill Gremillion Memorial Radio Club exists to carry on Bill's legacy. The club dedicates itself to raising awareness of Amateur Radio and encouraging and mentoring all who express an interest in learning about the hobby and obtaining their HAM license.