James Bartosch :  

Life My life growing up at Indian Lake was pretty normal, I did a lot of fishing, playing little league baseball spending time in the woods out behind the 2 room lakeview School where I went to school through the middle of 5th grade before they moved us into Dowagiac. My two teachers at Justus Gage were Mrs. Gillette for 5th grade and Mr. Bentz for 6th. Both Junior and Senior High went pretty good I played Baseball both Junior and Varsity level as a pitcher, Pitched and won the first conference game in 4 years against St. Joe beating them 1-0 my senior year. After graduating from Dowagiac I attended SMC but found out that I didn't like the college life so stopped going. I worked various jobs around the area from Bagging groceries at Lou Anns to Police Dispatcher for Dowagiac Police Dept. My best job was working at the Dowagiac Airport where I had the opportunity to learn to fly. My instructor and boss was an former B-17 pilot from the 8th Air force during WWII, and it was his inspiration why I join the USAF. I still fly today but only in the Simulator. Being in the military was one of the best times of my life I learned the value of teamwork and discipline which was lacking in my life at that time. I have 1 son Jim Jr 41 and 1 grandson Kile who lives in Mishawaka Indiana he is now 11 . I retired in 2006 after 25-1/2 years as a senior Quality Advisor but didn't like retirement so I went back to work in the Quality field but retired for good on June 28th, 2013. 52 years of my life of working and I am tired, I want to relax and enjoy what time I have left. After my 4 years in the USAF I became a Reserve Patrolman for Howard Township Police Department in the summer of 1976. I had the opportunity to attend the Lake Michigan Police Academy in the fall of 1976 and graduated in the top 10% of my class and was Top Marksman. I stayed at Howard Township as a reserve before being hired as a sheriff's deputy in Lake County (Baldwin) Michigan. I spent a total of 10 years in the Law Enforcement between Military and Civilian life before moving to South Bend,Indiana in 1983. On my days off I Spend most of my free time fishing, golfing, bowling or target and combat style shooting. I enjoy outdoor photography and carry a camera at all times. Military On Feb 14, 1972 I enlisted the United States Air Force took my training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio TX., Basic training wasn't all that bad, its just what you made of it. After Basic and Security Police Tech school I was assigned to Kincheloe AFB (SAC) in the U.P. of MI as a Security Police Specialist from 72-74. While there I earned the honors of Squadron airman of the month for November 1972, Base Airman of the Month for December 1972, Along with Base Airman of the 1st quarter in 1973. I also earned the honor of Outstanding 1st term Security Policeman for 1972. In earning these honors I was put on the Airmans board which sat in on meetings with the top brass from the base. In 1973 I was reassigned from Flight Line Duty to the Security Police Armory Section at the request of one of the Toughest NCO's in the Security Force at the Kinch. His name was Tsgt. Norman Kostuck, better known as "Stormin Norman". He was a Spit and polished type of individual, tough but very fair, I learned a lot from him. In Sept "74" I received orders to go overseas and was stationed at a Joint NATO/Turkish Air Base called "Murted" which was 17 miles Northwest of the capital of Ankara Turkey for 12 months and that's about all I...Expand for more