[Description by contributor Jeff March] This is not as much a description of an aircheck as it is a tribute to Graeme A. “Tony” Bond, a longtime friend and college classmate of mine, who died four days after the heart attack he suffered on March 13, 2010, at the age of 71. I was a freshman at San Fernando Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge) when Tony entered the broadcasting program as a senior transfer student. He came with a resume of professional experience, which he had acquired in military public information service and in professional radio, and instantly became a mentor for younger students (including me) at the college FM radio station, KEDC (now KCSN). He brought a real-world perspective to what previously had been a largely academic program. When I expressed interested in Tony’s on-air work, he let me dub a copy of this aircheck, which he had recorded in the studio while on the air at WKFR. He was working there on what he called “a lend-lease deal” between the Public Information Office of 6th US Army Corps and the Knorr Group, which included WKFR Battle Creek and WKNR (“Keener Radio”) in Detroit. In exchange for Tony pulling down air shifts, WKFR agreed to broadcast 5-minute Army radio recruiting segments on the Knor stations during regular daytime hours, rather than overnight. Tony worked under that arrangement, producing much of the public service material himself, from from about 1962 to ’65. “There was a stipulation. I would be hung from a tender part of the body if I caused any negative perceptions regarding the U.S. Army,” Tony later wrote in an e-mail message. “It all came out just dandy, Army won, I got $$. Doesn’t get any better for a draftee! However, don’t remind me of the paperwork to pull it off, all the way through a lieutenant general in 5th Army Division Command, Chicago. Guess they needed a recruiting boost. It was approved in one week. It was fun, fun, fun!” Tony was born in the Schofield Barracks Infirmary (of “From Here to Eternity” fame) in Wahiawa, Oahu, Hawaii. He was the son of Col. Graeme S. Bond, who had been a command pilot (heavy bombardment) with the U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Air Force during World War II and Korean War. Tony graduated in 1957 from the high school at Pepperell Air Force Base in in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. His father was the commander of the base, which was deactivated and closed in 1960. While in high school Tony landed first job in broadcasting at VOUS, AFRTS, St. John’s, in 1956-57. Tony enrolled as a freshman under the ROTC program at Michigan State University, where he played football while working part-time at WKAR-TV and radio in Detroit. In 1959 he transferred to Arizona State University, for which he played football and some baseball while working in the Phoenix radio market, and remained there until he was drafted into military service in 1961. Drawing upon his commercial experience, the Army assigned him as an information and broadcasting specialist in various military public information offices. Following his military discharge, he worked in broadcasting in Santa Barbara, Calif., Los Angeles, Miami and Honolulu. Along the way he spent some time as the ground station manager of the Peacesat Satellite Network. After his graduation from San Fernando Valley State College, Tony completed postgraduate work at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, then joined the faculty of the University of Hawail, at which he eventually became head of radio-TV-film programs. He subsequently taught at the University of Miami and Florida International University. In 2004 Tony and his wife, Annette, relocated to Henderson, Nev., where they lived at the time of his death. Tony was affable, friendly, welcoming, kindhearted, enthusiastic and had a terrific sense of humor. He was an effective leader and a good friend with whom the KEDC guys and I enjoyed going out for pizza and beer, attending sports events, and going on weekend camping trips. Tony didn’t try to assume any on-air persona other than his own. You’ll hear Tony on this aircheck as he really was, and I will miss him.