Ret. Colonel George Arthur Bosch, West Point Grad & WWII U.S. Air Force Pilot … lived to 100

Captain Rick: Ken Bosch, a friend who often comments on Atridim News Journal, recently emailed me “I buried my Father today. He had a full Honor Guard with a 21 gun Salute and a bugler that played Taps. The flag folding is something you have to see to believe. Oh, I almost forgot the overhead flyby with the missing man maneuver. Quite impressive.” When I learned he lived to be 100, a centenarian, I knew this was a story that needed to be told. I asked Ken if he would share this remarkable story with our readers. He enthusiastically agreed. Ken’s guest report follows. It concludes with Ken’s answers to questions I asked in an interview, including how his father viewed America and the serious challenges it faces.

ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL

Guest Report

by

Ken Bosch

Design Engineer

Riverside, California

My father, a WWII U.S. Air Force pilot lived to 100

RET. COLONEL GEORGE A. BOSCH Passed away September 30, 2013 in Riverside, CA at the age of 100. Born in Seattle, WA on 7/13/1913, he graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1938. He retired from the Air Force in 1961 at March AFB. He was a teacher for Riverside Unified School District for a few years. He worked 15 years for the Calif. Dept. of Transportation as a technical engineer, retired in 1975. George was preceded in death by his wife Dee. He is survived by his two children, Wendy Wiley and Ken Bosch; two grandsons, Aaron of San Francisco and Steven of Riverside, and two great grandchildren. Memorial Services were held Monday, December 9, 2013 at 11:30 am at Riverside National Cemetery.

Happy 100th Birthday Cake — George Arthur Bosch

My Sister — My Father — Me

My father flew the P-38 in the pacific and flew observers over Nagasaki hours after the bomb went off. He taught Math in Riverside Unified School District for 8 years and was a Highway Engineer for the State of California for 15 years and retired in 1975.

My dad was a great pilot, great father and led a wonderful long life. I will never be able to live up to his accomplishments, but I keep trying.

I got my pilots license in 1980 and bought a Cessna 150. The first thing I wanted to do was take my Dad for a ride. He instinctively knew how to do a preflight inspection on an airplane he’d never flown before. He was very apprehensive getting into a “Toy” airplane with “only” 100HP. I assured him that it will get us up and back down safely. He was used to 1400Hp on each wing……

In 85 I traded the Cessna for Mooney M-20 with 200HP retractable gear and constant speed prop. This time my Dad was more than happy to go with me. He said, “this is a real airplane”.

The photos above and below are of my father at age 91 at the Chino Planes of Fame Museum: http://planesoffame.org/

I had promised to take him there for months. I had time off between jobs so I used that time to take him to the museum. He had thousands of hours in both the B-17 and the P-38 and many others. The museum administrator had heard that my dad had flown a lot of the planes in the museum and came out to give us a private guided tour. He and my Dad talked for hours about experiences they had in each plan. Two old pilots trading stories, was great fun.

He was still able to get around on his own and even mowed the lawn at his house. In 2009 he fell on the stairs at his home and that was pretty much the end of his mobility. From then on he declined to a walker. He will be missed. Even at 100 he still had his mind, his body was failing. I no longer have parents. They are gone but not forgotten.

Captain Rick’s interview:

What is the most important thing your father taught you?

He was always an “Air Force Colonel” so he taught me discipline and responsibility.

What did you most enjoy doing with your father?

Camping, hunting and fishing.

What will you miss most by his passing?

I’ll miss stopping by on my way home from work to check on him and talk.

How did your father make the world a better place?

Fighting for America’s freedom and trying to make America’s highways safer.

What can the world learn from his footsteps?

Try to stay off the interstate 10 and 215 interchange. It’s right on top of the San Andreas Fault. He doesn’t think it was built well and feels that it’s not safe. Also the left lane off ramps through the San Bernardino corridor is a failed mistake. He fought to stop it but was overruled.

How would your father speak about America today and the situation in DC?

He was not happy at all with the direction the government is taking the country.

He said he was glad his life was ending, and that he would not be here to see the outcome.

He prayed for my sister and I to have a life as wonderful as his had been, but feared that we would not.

What advice would he give to the world?

Be true to the “greatest country on earth”. Never stop fighting for liberty.

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Interesting ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Guest Commentary

Massive 3-booster Delta-IV rocket launches super spy satellite with capability to identify make and model of vehicle 250 miles below

Captain Rick: The Space Shuttle is history, but not the excitement of new space machines. This launch of the massive 3-booster Delta-IV Heavy rocket, with the capability of placing a 25-ton payload into orbit, introduces the ability to visually identify the make and model of a vehicle from 250 miles up. 

Remember those movies where satellites could zoom in and see what is going on down on earth? It has all been science fiction…until now.  If all goes well, that fiction will take a bold step towards reality with this launch.

Today’s inspiring launch was the second for this new 232-foot-tall monster rocket machine from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The first was in January 2011. A new era has begun.

Details about the satellite, designated NROL-65, are classified. The three-booster Delta-IV rocket used to send it aloft Wednesday is the heaviest in the U.S. inventory, capable of putting a 25-ton payload into low Earth orbit.

Todays launch was one of two launches the top-secret National Reconnaissance Office has on the books for late 2013.

The payload in Wednesday’s launch is thought to be a $1-billion high-powered spy satellite capable of snapping pictures detailed enough to distinguish the make and model of an automobile hundreds of miles below.

The 232-foot-tall booster was developed by the U.S. Air Force and the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano will resign to become Pres of U of CA system Did she give up on Obama or was she fired?

Captain Rick: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will resign and be named as the president of the University of California system. Did she give up on President Obama or was she fired?

I was pleased to see Janet, perhaps the most liberal governor or Arizona, give up her governorship and head for Washington to become Obama’s Secretary of Homeland Security. While in that position, she seemed to seize every moment to slam Arizona on issues of illegal immigration and border security. I suspect some of those actions were a result of her desire to show Arizona that she ascended to higher ground and was now ‘boss of the homeland’. I suspect the balance came from Obama pressuring her to do his ‘dirty work’ against Arizona. It has been obvious that he has a loss of respect for Arizona, a state that has presented one of the biggest ‘thorns in his side’ on the subject of illegal immigration. The case of Arizona’s SB1070 illegal immigration law is a prime example. Obama’s Department of Justice vigorously fought it. Arizona appeals took it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court with a partial win for Arizona, which I am confident he did not enjoy.

Perhaps Obama had enough failures relating to illegal immigration or other homeland issues and pressured Janet to find other employment. Perhaps Janet had enough of being the ‘whipping gal’ for President Obama. Perhaps we will never know what prompted this move. It does not surprise me that Janet chose a state other than Arizona to relocate to. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that her anti-Arizona actions under the Obama presidency caused her to loose the ‘Arizona Welcome Mat’. Her choice of California, a ‘blue’ liberal state will provide her safe haven.

Agree? / Disagree?

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Arizona Law

Illegal Immigration

Arizona SB1070

U.S. Supreme Court

Arizona “Dry Heat”: Phoenix set 4th hottest all-time record: 119F (48C) at 2% humidity … Where is the hottest place on earth?

Captain Rick: June 29, 2013 was a ‘toasty day’ in Phoenix as the temp set the 4th highest ever recorded … 119F (48C). It was the warmest temp I have experienced since calling Arizona’s ‘Valley of the Sun’ home back in 1996.

At just 2% humidity, it actually was pleasant, especially in the shade. The main reason is because sweating is difficult when humidity is that low. The only way that temps can climb this high any where on earth is for the atmosphere to loose almost all humidity.

I enjoy Arizona “Dry Heat” much more than the humid heat I experienced in most other places … where the sweat flowed continually on a hot day when temps were ‘way down’ in the 90s F. I also enjoy Arizona “Dry Heat” much more than the wicked winter cold and tons of snow I have experienced in many other places in winter. I will always remember a winter day in Minnesota back in the 1970s when the temp dropped to a record low of –40F (–40C). The windows froze with ice from top to bottom. It took 3 weeks for the ice on the freeways to melt with salt. Most vehicles did not start. So, thinking back … if I am asked to rate Arizona’s “Dry Heat” on a scale of 10 … I give it a resounding 10.

I captured the above photo and edited it to record this and previous record high temps recorded in Phoenix.

Where is the hottest place on earth?

Many people think that the hottest place on earth is the Sahara desert in Africa. Not true. Hotter places exist in the deserts of the southwestern U.S.

After I posted the above photo on my Flickr photostream with a share to my Facebook page, I received a question from Marra Racz: “Hi Rick, what do you think of us in Lake Havasu:))?”

After a bit of research, I replied “Checking the records, I see that Lake Havasu holds the Arizona State record all time highest temp ever recorded … 128F (53C) set on June 29, 1994. That is just shy of the all time high of 134F (57C) for the US set in Death Valley, California on July 10, 1913, which is also the official world record for the hottest temp ever recorded.” I found an unofficial record in Libya of 138F (59C).

I asked Marra about her experience with the heat in Lake Havasu. She replied: "On July 1st 2001 I arrived to Lake Havasu City. The long trip from Los Angeles with all I have wore me out. The climate is cruel in summer time and summers are very long. There is no spring or autumn in Lake Havasu, just hot, hotter, hot like Hell days."

I try my best to report both sides of the story. Arizona’s “Dry Heat” is not for all. I hope Marra can find a way to ‘stay cool’ in Lake Havasu. I urge Marra to capitalize on enjoying those early morning hours … the hours I utilize for my daily 2 mile walk and 3 mile bicycle ride. They are the finest hours of my day.

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Weather: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/weather/

Captain Rick: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/captain-rick/

Phoenix: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/phoenix/

Arizona: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/arizona/

Photography by Atridim: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/photography-by-atridim/

Obamacare: How affordable will it be?

Captain Rick: California has published prices for its ‘Silver Plan’ for ‘Obamacare’ in compliance with the Affordable Care Act. Some potential participants may be surprised at the figures: $2,000 deductibles, $45 primary care visit co-pays, and $250 emergency room tabs.

Those are just some of the charges enrollees will incur in a silver-level plan in California, which recently unveiled an overview of the benefits and charges associated with its exchange.
That’s on top of the $321 average monthly premium.

For some, this will be great news since it will allow them to see the doctor without breaking the bank. But others may not want to shell out a few thousand bucks in addition to a monthly premium.

Obamacare Refresher

People who don’t have ‘affordable health insurance’ through their employers will be able to sign up for coverage through state-based exchanges.
Enrollment is set to begin in October, with coverage taking effect in January.
You must have some form of coverage next year, or you will face annual penalties of $95 or 1% of family income (whichever is greater) initially and more in subsequent years.

Each state will offer four levels of coverage: platinum, gold, silver and bronze. Platinum plans come with the highest premiums, but lowest out-of-pocket expenses, while bronze plans carry lower monthly charges but require more cost-sharing. Gold and silver fall in the middle.

The federal government will offer premium subsidies to those with incomes of up to four times the federal poverty level. This year, that’s $45,960 for an individual or $94,200 for a family of four.
There will be additional help to cover out-of-pocket expenses for those earning less than 250% of the poverty line: $28,725 for a single person and $58,875 for a family of four. The subsidies are tied to the cost of the state’s silver level plans.

A 40-year-old enrolling in the Bronze Plan, the least expensive, could pay as little as $219 a month. But, if he did get sick, he’d get socked with a $5,000 deductible, $60 co-pays for primary care visits and a $300 emergency room charge.

Obamacare provides protection for those who need a lot of care by placing a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.
The maximum a person in an individual platinum plan will spend a year is $4,000, while those in the other tiers will shell out no more than $6,400.

Whether potential enrollees find these plans affordable will depend on how healthy they are and whether they are currently insured. Those currently insured will experience significant increases in their contribution levels to their healthcare costs in the future as their employers look to offset their added costs. 

Obamacare is on a course to destroy America 

Obamacare is a program that is being financed by debt dollars. Its costs are adding to the U.S. National Debt which now stands a staggering $17 trillion.
Obamacare is a program that will soon explode and help push America over the real ‘Fiscal Cliff’…on a journey to become a third world country. 

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Obamacare: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/obamacare/

U.S. Debt Crisis: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/u-s-debt-crisis/

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/fiscal-cliff-course-101/

U.K. Tesco gives up of U.S. grocery business . . puts Fresh & Easy up for sale

Captain Rick: The Fresh & Easy store chain has been put up for sale by U.K. retail giant Tesco, admitting defeat in an attempt to take on U.S. supermarket chains in the southwest like Fry’s, Albertsons, Safeway and Wal-Mart.

Tesco launched Fresh & Easy in California in 2007. A short time later several stores opened in Arizona. I visited one in Gilbert as soon as it opened. My first reaction was … “The prices are high. The selection is poor. The atmosphere is cold. I don’t give this chain much time before it goes under”. To my surprise, Fresh & Easy lasted five years, but I never spend a dollar there. I think Tesco underestimated the strong faithfulness that southwestern grocery shoppers have for their stores, especially here in Arizona where Fry’s is king. It has been my favorite grocery store for over 15 years. Fry’s, a subsidiary of Kroger, is neat, clean, modern with a warm and welcome feel. The selection is great. The prices are also, especially if you use your VIP card. Fry’s specials always beat out Wal-mart. The first Wednesday of the month is Senior Citizen day at Fry’s. It’s the day I stock up for the month at a great 10% discount. Fry’s rewards it’s customers with credits to save up to $2 per gallon of gas at Fry’s gas stations.

My ‘word to the wise’ for those who want to open a grocery chain in the U.S. southwest, especially Arizona … learn the ‘lay of the land’ first. This is the desert. It’s a warm place with lots of warm people who cherish our favorites. It will take a mountain to change our minds from the places we faithfully shop.

Fresh & Easy’s woes have added to the problems Tesco faces in the U.K and other international markets. Third-quarter sales at stores open a year or more fell company-wide by 1.3%, as depressed consumer spending in the U.K. and Europe outweighed an improvement in Asia. Tesco’s share of the U.K. market is also declining.

Ken of California: “I gotta get out of this liberal mess”… Arizona is a Pink state?

Captain Rick: I received an email today from my friend Ken in California. He said “Arizona is a pink state. You really need to get busy and turn it red. It’s hopeless for me here in California. I gotta get out of this liberal mess.”

Ken, thanks for your email. I hope you will become brave, like me, and post your future replies on my blog so that the entire world can enjoy your important perspective. I will give you a helping hand for your email today.

When I moved to Arizona in 1996, it was one of the most conservative ‘RED’ states there was in the entire country. During the nearly two decades since, many thousands of illegal aliens crossed our very porous border with Mexico…a border that the U.S. government poorly defends.  I do not blame them for wanting to come to a our great state of Arizona, in comparison to the poor economic conditions in their home countries. But the fact is that most of them came to Arizona illegally. America’s laws…or lack of them, allow them to vote. Over the years the Latino vote in Arizona has exploded. Latinos historically vote liberal “BLUE” because it is laden with lots of freebies like health, education and welfare at the expense America’s major tax payers…the middle class. President Obama has recently proclaimed that many children of illegals that were brought to this country at a young age will receive what I call ‘amnesty’. This political move has placed the Latino vote on fire and could become a leading factor in the decision for our next president. It is no secret that Obama is courting the Latino vote. Lets not forget Obama’s massive DOJ attack on Arizona’s SB1070 illegal immigration law.

So it is…Arizona fades from bright RED to PINK. The Latino vote in America will soon turn many of the “RED” states to “PINK” or even “BLUE” in the coming years. Our country is changing as a result of neglegence of those we elect to serve the best interest of America. Tonight’s prime time presidential debate could set the election and America’s course for the next four years.  I have never missed a presidential debate during my entire life of many decades. I urge all to watch and respond with your comments of which candidate you think did a good or bad job of presentation on a subject.