José Italo Giammattei Risso, YS1IM, in 1958 among others founder of the Club de Radio Aficionados de El Salvador, CRAS, member of the first provisional board, where he was instrumental in the writing and legal approval of the club constitution.
He occupied the post of president and secretary of CRAS in different opportunities.
Thanks to him and his vision of the future the CRAS acquired a tract of land with privileged view in the Volcano of San Salvador, which allowed the continued financial health of the club.
In 1960 he participated in the 1st. Convention of Radio Amateurs Clubs from Central America and Panama FRACAP, representing El Salvador. In that meeting the first constitution of the Federation were approved. In 1961 in the Convention held in Managua, Nicaragua for the first time he was elected as General Secretary of FRACP 1961, and the following year he steered first Convention in El Salvador. His activity in those meetings had lasting and positives consequences still felt by all of us.
Representing El Salvador he participated in the founding of IARU Región 2 México City in 1964. From that date until May 1970 he was for two terms elected the first Vice-president in the Executive Committee. He proposed the existing area D integrated by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panamá and later Belize. He was instrumental in the closer relationship between IARU-R2 and FRACAP.
He was the founder and main animator for more than 25 years of the Central America net known RUEDA DE SOBRE MESA that unfortunately ended with the San Salvador earthquake in 1986.
José Italo was a dedicated radio amateur and his life is an example for all of us in Central America and IARU-R2.
By Fabian Zarrabe YS1FI and Francisco Fischnaler YS1FAF
Also available in Español (Spanish).