George Aaron Boyer:
CLASS OF 1968
Maryville High SchoolClass of 1968
Maryville, MO
Chapman UniversityClass of 1983
Orange, CA
Azusa Pacific UniversityClass of 1982
Azusa, CA
George Aaron's Story
Intro and Military Service:
I left Maryville June 6, 1970 via a southbound Continental Trailways Cruiser Coach. My destination was San Diego, California. This departure from the farm was prompted by a Christmas Eve 1969 conscription notice that caused me to enlist in the United States Marine Corps rather than endure the lesser life of a mere Army draftee. I re-enlisted in February 1974 because I found the Marine Corps wasn't a bad life. When you wear the Uniform, certain things are expected of you and you comply. You do have to get out of bed early in the morning and do things you would rather not do. In that respect, the military is very much like staying on the farm or joining a monastery, a structured life. Except for the constant moving from coast-to-coast, base to base, or foreign shores upon the whim of some unknown faceless clerk hiding in a dark office somewhere, it made a fine career. Military life is tough on families though; the most valuable asset in the Marine Corps inventory is the Marine Wife. I transferred to the Retired List in June 1990. In those twenty years of active duty, I spent time (more than a stop in an airport) in Thailand, Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, Korea, England, and Norway. Stateside, I spent my enlistments in California, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, with side trips to South Carolina, Georgia, and Wisconsin. I was recalled to the Corps for Desert Storm, but did not serve.
College:
While on active duty at Camp Pendleton, El Toro Air Station, and Twenty Nine Palms, all in California (these assignments equaled nine years), I attended Azusa Pacific College (equaled one academic year) and Chapman College (equaled three academic years) I also picked up credits at Saddleback College, College of the Desert, and the University of Maryland. I was about four classes short of graduation when I received orders for my third posting to Japan and subsequent assignment to an Infantry Regiment. To my regret, I have never bothered to return to college for a Bachelors. Perhaps after retirement.
Job History:
My post-military retirement employment history is just like my interests; I do what I find interesting. After retirement from the Marine Corps, I spent almost eight years as a manager for the Circle K Convenience Store Chain, and two years at True Value Hardware. I was the Lawn and Garden Manager at a Target store for 14 months. For about 20 months, I was Head of Security at a retirement community near Tucson. For a short time, I was a caregiver to developmentally disabled adults. Currently, I work for a security company here in Tucson.
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Family:
I am twice divorced and I never intend to marry again. I do have three wonderful girls from the marriages; My oldest, Louise, lives in Portland, Oregon and both Sarah and Elizabeth, the middle and youngest children, live in Roanoke, Virginia, I also have two wonderful stepdaughters; Debby in Roanoke and KeriLynn in Richmond, Virginia.
I have few family members left in NWMo; an Aunt in Mound City, several cousins in KC and Joplin, and several second cousins in Burlington Junction and Ravenwood. I have one cousin who retired to the Philippines. You'll find most of my family in the Ohio Cemetery in Burlington Junction, in the cemetery between Ravenwood and Parnell (I don't recall it's name), or in the Fillmore Cemetery.
Interests:
Most people who know me have not the slightest idea that I am interested in:
...the history of the US from the Revolution to the First World War;
...studying American Indian Legends and Lore;
...keeping the old Volkswagen Bugs and Buses on the road;
...riding my Harley-Davidson as much as possible to nowhere in particular. I am a member of an ad hoc group called the No Rules Riders;
...I go primitive camping as often as possible, I no longer hunt or fish;
...I collect music of the 60's-70's-early 80's (would anyone have a tape of It's A Beautiful Day playing at the St. Joseph City Auditorium, June 1966? It's an ongoing Holy Grail type thing);
...I follow the Chiefs, Royals, Bearcats, and 'Hounds, as well as the Chapman Panthers, Missouri Tigers, Arizona Wildcats, and the Arizona Cardinals;
...building and modifying my model railroads;
...I'm addicted to Sudoku;
...golf when I have time; and
...more, there's always more.
Political Views:
I stand firmly on the Republican side of the political aisle but I welcome Conservative Democrats for conversation and debate. I believe in the George Washington style of free speech: keep it clean, do not raise your voice, and if no point of agreement can be reached, agree to disagree and change the subject. After all, differing opinion need not be personal attack. Should I offend anyone with my opinions or beliefs, with all sincerity I hope the civics that unites us is stronger than the issues that divide us.
I am a "shining light on the hill" Reagan-type conservative. I strongly believe in "America First", a "hand up, not a hand out", and that "charity begins at home". I believe in the wisdom of our Founding Fathers who established this political experiment called the United States of America. They were the finest minds the Country had at the time, coming together for a common goal, and for their efforts many sacrificed loss of property, fortune, and life. I believe we are a nation of laws and procedures much debated and honed, that those laws and procedures have served us well for over 200 years, and if the laws are not, can not, or will not be enforced by the elected leaders, then we as a nation can no longer be that "shining light". I believe in the Constitution as it was written. I do not believe that we have a "living" Constitution as set forth by the liberal wing of the Democrat Party. I believe that the only way the Constitution is "alive" is by way of the amendment process. Change to the Constitution should be a slow process used only after much debate and discussion on both the Federal and State levels. Should there be the necessary State majorities, Congress may vote and the Executive may approve. Or not. I believe a Supreme Court decision is an opinion and should be respected, but not be treated as law. The duty of the Supreme Court is to decide Constitutional merits. Only the Congress makes law.
Unfortunately, I believe a huge percentage of Americans no longer care about the political processes because of the image projected by the professional politician-lawyers. The national politicos seem to unashamedly place re-election before Party and Party before Country. Everything else is trivia. We the People seem to be far down the list of national priorities regardless of the Party in majority. Worse yet, the national politicos seem to think of We the People as stupid rubes with short memories whilst offering speedy solutions to complex problems. A dire situation indeed.
For the record, I detest lawyers who are career politicians. Actually, I detest lawyers AND career politicians. I detest political extremes in elected office; extremism slows the already slow political processes. Bipartisanship must have give and take from both sides and advantage not dictated by idealistic leaks to the national press. Centrist positions are required from all parties involved since all politics is compromise, all politics is local. It is my unproven opinion that extreme left and right positions are merely comedian fodder.
I believe there should be a Constitutional Amendment setting term limits on
politicians.
I believe Congress should not be able to increase its own salary.
I believe there should be a Balanced Budget Amendment.
I believe conscription should be the law of the land for both genders but not
necessarily limited to military service.
I believe 5 to 6% (unadjusted) unemployment is acceptable.
I believe that racial profiling is not discriminatory.
I believe that if you disagree with abortion, you shouldn't have one performed.
I don't care who marries whom, just be happy and don't shove your marriage in my
face.
I believe in gun control: be trained in firearm use, keep the firearm clean, keep it nearby, keep it loaded, and use both hands when you aim. I believe that should you disagree with the concept of personal firearms ownership, don't buy one. Further, I do not believe in firearms registration. It is a cumbersome process that invades personal privacy and actually does not stop a person from obtaining a firearm. All it does is let government know what registered weapons are in which homes. It does not report which bad guys have unregistered firearms.
Our voting lists should be purged before every third election. I believe everyone should be required to show three forms of ID when registering to vote and when actually casting a ballet. A drivers license / auto registration / auto insurance card / state ID / military ID / DD214 / Medicare Card / rent receipt / apartment lease / a telephone, electric, or gas bill, any three will do quite nicely for identification. Even the so called "disenfranchised" can produce three of these documents. No ID, no ballot. Our votes should be counted and tallied in our States, our counties, and cities, not by the Federal Government nor a contractor in another country. Paper ballots should be used rather than computer / internet voting, and identification shown before a ballot is issued. Absentee or mail-in ballots should be requested in writing thirty to ninety days before the election.
The Electoral College must remain firmly in place since it is not just a confusing group of paragraphs in the Constitution, but an absolute necessity that protects States with low populations.
I do not believe "a rising tide lifts all boats" w...Expand for more
hen the "rising tide" is manipulated by Washington, Wall Street, and a few self-serving moneyed individuals and special interests. I believe personal income taxes must be lowered, tax credits for small business must be increased, corporate taxes should be eliminated or drastically lowered. This would stimulate the economy, encourage off-shore American-owned businesses to return to the US, and bring new jobs and new hiring back to the fore. After these tax reductions, corporate moneys held in offshore banks should be deposited in US banks, without penalties.
Those who receive welfare should be required to work a number of hours each week for local government, charitable organizations, food banks, etc. and be subject to random drug testing. Fail the test, loose the welfare. Period. The End.
If immigration reform is needed, it is up to Congress to change the laws. Since we are a country of laws and procedures, we must first enforce the existing immigration laws and deport the illegals and their "anchor babies", They may then apply for immigration in the old fashioned way at our Embassy or Consulate. Or the immigrants can stay home and fix their own countries problems and eliminate the need to leave home. Regardless, our borders must be secure.
I believe the US should drop out of the UN. The United Nations should be moved to Brussels and the current UN building should be turned into a homeless shelter. The UN, as it exists now, is useless.
I believe media "tailors" news to fit an ideological or editorial slant. I also believe select members of media is paid handsomely to keep that slant fuzzy enough so no clear concept can be interpreted. I think Governmental press releases serve only one purpose and that is to keep our focus away from the real issues in Government. Except for Friday afternoon that is. Late Friday is when the meaningful press releases are issued, just after the reporters in the Washington Press Corps have gone home for the weekend. I believe the Washington Press Corps have become fat and lazy in their exalted positions. Reporters from the Washington Post, Boston Herald, New York Times, et al, should be replaced by reporters from smaller town newspapers, the Des Moines Register, Kansas City Star, Arizona Republic, and Virginia Pilot for example. I believe that the current group of so-called "reporters and journalists" who cover national political news seem to be more interested in a Pulitzer Prize for Sensationalism than actual reporting. Less than 25% of We the People have faith in the Media, according to a recent national poll. In general, Media ignored the poll.
Editorial Comment: Donald Trump, during his term in 0ffice, vigorously stirred the muck and thus exposed the chinks in the armor of the "system politics and politics as usual swamp". Using his "Run the Country as a Business" philosophy, he has influenced American politics far into the future at the cost of his business reputation, his families privacy, and meaningless ongoing Government sanctioned investigations. Yet his philosophy worked well and the Country prospered during his watch. In my opinion, the Country needs to continue with strong National Leadership now more than ever. We Republicans must continue backing strong political outsiders that have fresh ideas rather than the same old swamp ideas.
Editorial Comment: The Biden-Harris ticket has not instilled leadership confidence since one candidate is weak, one candidate is clueless. Those named to Cabinet and advisor posts are equally weak, clueless, or simply incompetent.
Religion:
I was born into the Methodist Church, changed to the Lutheran Church while on active duty, and changed again to the Episcopalian Church upon retirement. I've been blessed by Buddhist Monks and argued the meaning of Scripture with Rabbi's. I've sprinkled corn pollen with the Navajo at sunrise, and have been invited to evening meal with Moslem's during Ramadan. I've attended church in a building with a three digit date on the cornerstone. I've attended services in a building made of hand hewn logs. I've attended church in a building with a tarpaulin for a roof and shrapnel scars on the walls. I've received Communion under a fly-tent during monsoon rain. I've found that the "which" part of religion and church is irrelevant. I've found that most religions are pretty much the same in that they attempt to impose order on the senseless course of human events. The key to religious harmony is simply respecting the other persons belief and practicing the Golden Rule.
Editorial Comment: Certain religious extremists would have you believe Sharia Law is just and fair and based in the "religion of peace". Sharia Law is neither religious nor fair and is damn poor law. Those who want Sharia Law should know and practice the Golden Rule first as the sharp edge of a knife will provide converts to Islam, but will fail to deliver true believers.
Off-the-Wall Comments and Random Observations That Fit Nowhere Else in this Missive, Gathered Here Simply Because I Can.
I enjoy a good joke and I believe that a long deep belly laugh will make the day go so much better, however I prefer jokes that have the subtleties of irony over often insulting sarcasm. I would rather read a good book than watch TV. I would rather watch a DVD than go to a movie. I prefer the company of larger ladies. I'm perfectly happy driving a 20 year old automobile. I only wash my car after it's quarterly oil change because I live in a desert and saving water is a way of life here. Washed out khakis and a golf shirt is proper desert formal wear provided that shoes, belt, and sunglasses frame match. I still have the guitar I bought right after high school and I still can't play the thing. I proudly display the American Flag much to the chagrin of my more liberal neighbors. I still wear a POW bracelet. The Marine named on the bracelet went missing when I was a Junior in High School. It doesn't matter, we must remember the POW / MIA's. My camera uses film, not a SIMS card. My telephone is connected to a jack on the wall, not in a pouch on my belt. My knowledge and ability on a computer rivals that of a Neanderthal, almost. I feel an obligation to feed and care for stray dogs and cats. I also feel an obligation to find homes for those same dogs and cats. I believe that you are blessed with only a few true friends, and that true friendship will survive any tribulation. I also believe that you have only a few actual enemies. I believe that anger held against someone is counterproductive in that anger and insult cannot be given but can be taken. I believe that children are a blessing. I believe that Karma can be Muther and she's meaner than a dogma. I gave up alcohol years ago and I now rarely drink anything stronger than coffee or tea (yes, Earl Gray, hot). I no longer use tobacco, but I do enjoy a good cigar or pipe on a celebratory occasion. If someone should ask me not to smoke, I do so; it's called courtesy. I still say "Sir", "Miss", and "Ma'am". Ms (Miz?) is not a proper form of address, it is just a made-up word from the 1960's. I still hold doors for ladies, the elderly, and those in a wheelchair. I think that politically correct speech is foolish and transparently so. I will drop most anything to help a neighbor.
Corrections: I gave-in and bought a digital camera when Kodak stopped making film, PhotoMat went out of business, and the local drugstore stopped film processing.
My job now insists that I have a cell-phone with me at all times. It is never turned on but I have it with me at all times.
Outro:
To sum up, I have lived pretty much within my personal rules and philosophy of life. You may agree or disagree with my past or my lifestyle, I really don't care. I believe that your opinion of me is none of my business. I am happy and I hope you are too. I do what I think is correct, and so far, I have few regrets since Karma hasn't bitten me on the butt too many times. In short, I haven't changed a whole lot. Well, there is one small thing: I'm older now since growing older is a requirement (growing up is not). And yes, I still have red hair, sorta, it's darker now, sorta brownish, with a touch of grey here and there. And all over the moustache and beard. I prefer to think that I'm turning blond.
I live in Tucson, Arizona with my ladyfriend Margo and our five cats, Smokey, Sam the Younger, Sarge, Rascal, and Mr. Charley. Life is good and I intend to enjoy each and every day of my allotted time. Should anyone wish to drop a note in my general direction, I do have a Facebook page as George Boyer. Ladies, please use your maiden name.
I am feeding up to 16 cats twice a day. I do this by choice, but I would like to ask everyone who has cats and dogs, have your pets spayed or neutered and if you move, please take the pet with you.
3/20/12: With great sadness, I mark the passing of our cat Mr. Charley who suffered liver failure at age four. He came to us as a rescue, a six-month old tabby kitten who had been burned repeatedly with cigarettes. He grew up to be the sweetest gentlest tomcat anyone could ask for.
10/13/2014: Smokey passed today. A gray that had the bearing of a Russian Blue, he was born in 1998, under the couch, with his father, Sam the Elder, in attendance. Smokey was one of only two kittens that we kept from all the litters.
5/15/16: Sam (the Younger) passed today. A gray, he was born in 1999 and was active until the end, chasing the lady cats, catching birds, and fighting the other toms.
11-18-2017: I note the passing of Sarge, a basic yellow tabby cat, the runt of his litter, and the last of the litter adopted, born in the summer of 2003.
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