After the German surrender, one of Hitler’s high-ranking naval officers was asked why the Nazi U-boats had been withdrawn from U.S. coastal waters early in 1943. The answer was exploded in a curt guttural: ‘It was because of those damned little red and yellow planes!’” -- From Robert E. Neprud’s Flying Minute Men
Civil Air Patrol members became the Minutemen of World War II, volunteering their time, resources, and talents to defend the nation’s borders. They filled the gaps left by the men, women and resources mobilized to fight abroad. These Flying Minutemen, all volunteers, performed valiantly on many missions including coastal patrol to search for enemy submarines, search and rescue missions throughout the United States, cargo and courier flights to transfer critical materials and personnel. They even towed targets so Army Air Corps personnel could practice air-to-air gunnery techniques. In all, these volunteers amassed a stunning record -- flying more than half-a-million hours, sinking two enemy submarines, and saving hundreds of crash victims.
Where did these volunteers come from? Although Pearl Harbor propelled the United States into World War II, many Americans saw the AXIS threat long before Dec. 7, 1941. Among them were nearly 150,000 men and women involved in aviation.
As early as 1938, they began to argue for the creation of an organization to harness their experience in the event America entered the conflict. Their efforts, led by writer-aviator Gill Robb Wilson and supported by Gen. Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold, resulted in the creation of the Civil Air Patrol. The Director of Civilian Defense, former New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, signed a formal order creating the CAP on this day in 1941 -- one week before Pearl Harbor.
A thankful nation recognized the vital role CAP played during the war and felt that it could continue to provide invaluable help to both local and national agencies. On July 1, 1946, U.S. President Harry S Truman signed Public Law 476 incorporating the CAP as a benevolent, nonprofit organization. And on May 26, 1948, Congress passed Public Law 557, permanently establishing the CAP as the Auxiliary of the new U.S. Air Force.
With more than 53,000 members, 535 light aircraft and an extensive communications capability, the Civil Air Patrol is fully equipped to continue its mission for America.
Happy birthday, CAP!
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