Letters to the Editor

By A Mix on Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Dear editor, Sad to hear about the recent passing of another former policeman Mr. Bill Johnson who was a former Chief of Police of Grants, and Acoma. Bill started his own investigator company in Albuquerque for many years and was a good man. As many of you know we have shot down some more balloons one of which may have been a Hobby Club’s Missing Balloon Feared Shot Down By USAF | Aviation Week Network. This Saturday on 02-18-23 several long-time local ham volunteer operators will be helping on the Mount Taylor Quad. A small group of older folks that often do not get credit for making this event and others successful throughout the year and bring some notoriety and income from visitors to our community. Yes, it’s hard to get young people interested in radios and electronics nowadays ever since cell phones came along, they seem to be stuck looking at their phones. One item I put on my bucket list is to learn CW or old morse code in case of a bad solar flare, or nuclear emp attack. It would be the only thing still working. Even Taiwan is training young kids how to do old morse code in case of attach from China. Our President has not been looking so good on these balloon incidents, so it appears after the first Chinese one, its shoot first and ask questions later! So, it’s possible we shot a million- dollar missile to take out a $12-dollar high school ham radio experiment. Keep in mind we missed one and had to shoot a second missile. When I was stationed at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ back in 1977 after high school, I saw them catch missiles coming back to the base before they hit the ground and broke into pieces so they could reuse them. Sadly, some went off course and flew into Mexico and never came back, and sometimes the helicopters missed catching the ones coming back to base with the little parachutes. I was told they could be controlled from the ground like a drone and driving them was like playing a video game. Sleep well tonight your government is on the job! Signed, Mr. Harry L. Hall USAF Veteran Retired Police/Sheriff Lt.