(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, Ca) -  Brigadier General Robert Cardenas is probably used to being called a hero. He has been honored with many awards, accolades, and has numerous ribbons and medals on the chest of his uniform. Some of his accomplishments have been the subject in periodicals, books and videos on television. There has even been talk of a movie.

Bob Cardenas retired from the United States Air Force in June of 1973 but don’t think that he hasn’t been busy. You may remember that Bob was the test pilot of the YB-49, flying wing and flew the B-29 that launched the X-1 rocket that Chuck Yeager flew to break the sonic barrier. That was on October 14, 1947. He has spoken to the Friends of Lake Murray about that flight.

Bob was born in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico and came with his family to San Diego at the age of five years. Growing up Bob made model airplanes; as a teen, he and his friends sometimes went out with fishing boats to earn money. Fun was going to the Torrey Pines glider port to watch the gliders take off and soar; sometimes helping the pilots construct their “current catchers” with glue and wood; sometimes hitching rides. He learned to navigate gliders and that may be when he fell in love with flying (my conjecture).

In school Bob was an outstanding student who excelled in physics and math. He was invited to study at San Diego State University in a two-year program. A number of students were members of the National Guard and Bob joined them in 1939. In 1940, he began his military career as a private in the Army artillery then became a pilot as a Cadet in the Army Air Corps and a 2nd Lieutenant in 1941. In 1942, he was sent to 29 Palms to establish the Army Air Corps Glider School.

Bob has flown 60 different aircraft in his career. He was Combat Leader of Bombers and Fighters as well as Commander of Air Force Operations Force. He met presidents and advised some, fought in three wars, was shot down in Germany and escaped to Switzerland, returned home and became a test pilot, and then chief of the Aircraft and Missiles Program at the Pentagon, promoted to Brigadier General in 1968, negotiated with a terrorist (Muammar Gadafi). General Cardenas was responsible for the development of the Joint Strategic Target List of the US nuclear War Plan (*SIOP).

In 1983, Cardenas was appointed to the White House as the California coordinator for President Reagan’s Southwest Border Action Group, was Governor Dukemejian’s Chairman of the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Advisory Group and member of the California Council of Criminal Justice. In 1987, the Governor appointed Bob to the California Veterans Board. He has been a strong voice and advocate for veterans ever since. Making sure that veterans are being taken care of is his passion. Since Rosecrans Cemetery is almost full, Bob is on a new final resting place for military and veterans. A place that is perfect and worthy of their sacrifice.

I met the General at Lake Murray when I had dark hair and he did too. He and his wife Gladys live in Del Cerro and walked the lake road. Bob’s walks at the lake now are not routine and at varied times. Gladys and Bob will be married 61 years in May. They met at the YMCA recreation center when Bob was training in Vandalia, Ohio. The Cardenas’ had seven children, 14 grandchildren and a six-month-old great-grandchild.

Writing about Robert Cardenas’ career would take a book. A big book…and it still wouldn’t include the sum of his life. He was honored last October 2008 at the Aerospace Museum’s Hall of Fame in Balboa Park. His most outstanding accomplishments were memorialized on a pillar at Lancaster’s Walk of Honor in 1995. He has been recognized by countless groups, and has received distinctions that are too numerous to mention here.

The Internet is a good place to learn more about Bob Cardenas.  Is he a hero? Unquestionably, but he would tell you that every active or retired military person, every veteran is a hero.
*SIOP is: Single Integrated Operational Plan. Strategic discussions take place each year to determine how American nuclear weapons should be used in case of a nuclear war.

After many inquiries from parents and grandparents in our neighborhoods about the kiddy park on Murray Park, I cornered Dr. Charles Jacobson at the store for information. Most of the play equipment has been removed by the San Diego Park and Recreation Department because it was deteriorating. The problem is that it hasn’t been replaced and won’t be in the near future.

Charles is a citizen that is in charge of the San Carlos Park and Recreation Committee. Dr. Jacobson said that he was told that before play equipment will be installed, the kiddy park would have to be retrofitted to ADA standards (American Disabilities Act). When I talked with Mike Marrow of the SD Park and Rec. Dept., he told that there had been a choice between the ball field’s permanent rest room or renovation of the kiddy park. He says that there is no money left to renovate the park. It would cost too much money for the project.

Since biology class is in session at the lake, and we have witnessed pairing up of birds, some little mallards have appeared, and humming bird nests are evident. Maybe you have been hearing baritone groans emanating from the reeds. I like to call it the Loch Murray Monster. Other people have asked if the unmelodic tones came from the mute swans. No. They are bullfrogs and I think they are calling for mates? That is a question. I had a friend that would tell people that they were aqua cows.

Reservoir Keeper, Gayle Havens lost the diamond cross that her mother gave her. She thinks that perhaps it came off of her necklace at the lake. If anyone finds it, please bring it to the boat dock. It has special meaning for her. Thanks. If lost items are found at the lake and they are inexpensive, one can usually find the item on the bulletin boards. If the item seems expensive, check at the boat dock. Check both places if keys are lost.

The Friends of Lake Murray are asking for donations of homemade cookies to sell at the May 2, 2009 Allied Gardens/ Grantville SpringFest. Cookies should be bagged, six cookies to a baggie and the kind labeled. Cookies can be taken to either entrance of the lake on Friday, May 1, 2009 between 6:00 and 8:00 am.

The Friends of Lake Murray’s May 21st meeting will feature Dr. Anne Sturz. Anne got her BS and Master’s degrees in geology at San Diego State University and her doctoral at Scripps San Diego in marine biology. She is now dean at University of California at San Diego.

Dr. Sturz will bring us up to date on what is happening in our world concerning volcanoes. There has been a lot of volcano activity going on in the United States and through out our globe. She might present best guesses to when they will blow. When might that happen? How many volcanoes are there in the U.S.? How dangerous are they? And, how are they monitored?