After IFAC ....

Because this is primarily the account of three lives lived, and because those three lives are not related by family, it is about the lives of three individuals who, looking back in time, perceive the events that each of them lived through, in three different ways. Then these three individuals began to conduct part of their own time lived in the company of each other.

But they were and still are, three individuals living three separate lives.

There is no American-style 'cookie-cutter' stamping going on. These three individuals each see events differently, and they quite often argue about the interpretation of these events, and their arguments are based upon the information that the three individuals possess at the time of argument.

Perception is everything.

Presentation is also a key factor.

Eric Gilder, is a professor and now Dr Habil, and his academic approach is quiet and scholarly. Genie Baskir is married into 'The System' as well as her own family with a daughter. Mervyn Hagger is labeled by Eric Gilder as 'impassioned' and Genie Baskir commented that when she worked at IFAC that he yelled a lot. Three different people. Three different approaches to life, but all three determined to unveil this hitherto and misrepresented story to the world.

It is necessary to state this background analysis as foundational fact, because a casual reader might assume that these three individuals are living out their three separate lives according to some hitherto unstated 'master plan', but there is no 'master plan' and the three individuals are not related by any form of bloodline or political or religious ideology. On the contrary, differences in perception due to different family experiences is what makes this story somewhat complicated to recite, but it is that factor that keeps it focused upon being an honest and open-minded investigation as a joint enterprise, while at the same time keeping it within the three component parts of the lives lived.

Now if that is not enough of a complicating factor on its own in the telling of one story, then add the fact that there are several other individuals who, from time-to-time, have entered into the lives of the three main individuals and influenced episodes within this story. It is a story that began after the IFAC episode had been concluded, but the IFAC episode was the means by which the three core individuals came together as an investigative team called 'The Trio'.

While the storyline is one, it was different aspects of that story which grabbed the attention of the three individuals.

For Mervyn Hagger, whose date of birth makes him the senior in age of the other two members; his interest began as a young boy in England when his father took him on a holiday visit to see an 'uncle' and they made a recording in a BBC studio at Bush House in London.

For Genie Baskir, who was born in New York, her trek through time relating to this topic began in the nation of Israel. That is when she was asked to make broadcasts for Abe Nathan's 'Voice of Peace' radio ship.

For Eric Gilder who was born in Dallas, his part in this story began when, after graduation with a bachelor's degree at a university in Arlington, he embarked upon studies at another university in Denton (all three locations in Texas), to be guided by an academic advisor into writing a master's thesis about European and especially British 'pirate' radio.

Three different points of entry converged in the Nineteen Eighties into one storyline that initially centered upon the person of Don Pierson.

To many, Don Pierson was and still is a mystery man. That is because other people had a superficial contact with him, and their own lack of intellectual curiosity concealed from them the details of who this man was. It is not difficult to find the answers because Don Pierson never hid from the press. Thanks to the Internet and newspaper archives, it is now easier than ever to reassemble details of his life.

Next: Who was Don Pierson?