Field Day History and Purpose

Sam, WB6RJH offers several quotes by others describing Field Day:

"The event is promoted by ARRL as an emergency-readiness exercise and as a way to promote amateur radio
to newcomers. Nominally a Field Day is not a contest, but an exercise: an event in which participants are encouraged
to employ portable, temporary or alternate-power facilities in order to promote the skills useful to rapid deployment
of emergency communications in response to a disaster."

"Since the first ARRL Field Day in 1933, radio amateurs throughout North America have practiced the rapid deployment
of radio communications equipment in environments ranging from operations under tents in remote areas to operations
inside Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs). Operations using emergency and alternative power sources are
highly encouraged, since electricity and other public infrastructures are often among the first to fail during a
natural disaster or severe weather."

Bob Wiser, K6RMW, found this excellent 1999 QST article, "Field Day. A Mirror of Amateur Radio History" [pdf]