America's quiet warriors are the legion of ham radio operators,
700,000 of them, who are always at ready for backup duty in
emergencies – amateur, unpaid, uncelebrated, civilian radio
operators, during and after floods and fires and tornadoes. After
the 9/11 attacks, hams were indispensable in reuniting friends and
families. Most recently it was they who expedited the search for
debris after the disaster to the space shuttle Columbia, and right
now, at this moment, they are involved in homeland security to a
greater degree than you would want me to make public. — Paul Harvey
News and Comment, ABC Radio, March 19, 2003