Coastal Patrol Unit Locations in WW2

[Major Carrales]

Col. Wiest;
I am headed to northern New Mexico and the B-24 crash site in November 1942. This crash was the first (one of two) official
first SAR missions of CAP. Because of snow on the mountain tops we won't make it to the actual site, but we know where it is and have permission from the owner for access later in the summer. So this is mostly information gathering and site seeing. We'll have pictures, details, and contacts by the time I get back on Wednesday Night. Why? Well the scenery is amazing, I love the mountain back country, and this is one heck of a great story with tons of turns twists and surprises.

When we finally get it ready for publication in 2012 - to coincide with the 70th anniversary - it'll knock your socks off. We've tracked the various families of this event, the descendants of the rescued and CAP members. The concentric circles of salvation are remarkable. In this case CAP saved an aircrew, and an eventual US state department negotiators, head of the US census, doctors, lawyers, legislators, and even a governor. When we rescue one - we save all of the unborn off spring. We save hundreds of people through time. We don't just save lives, we save generations of lives.

Thanks for your work on Gill Robb Wilson. Keep it up. All the best.

Wow!!!  You know, Ijust realized that it is coming up on 70 years.  It just seems like yesterday that we celebrated 60 years.  I remember the excitement in that old CAP Newpaper.   Wow...how time flies.

[piperl4]

I would be very careful in asserting that your squadron is descended from a Coastal Patrol base.  While I will be the first to admit that CAP has no rules regarding unit lineage, in my opinion merely being based at the same site does not automatically mean that your unit can say that you are descended from one of the coastal patrol base units.  This doesn't mean that in writing the history of CAP in that town, that you can' mention the base,  but I believe that is as far as you should go. 

Now, there is at least one member here on CAPTalk who disagrees with me on this issue in general and thinks that pretty much anything goes in terms of unit lineage so you can take your pick in who you would like to listen to.

I agree there may not be a direct leniage between Coastal #2 and other Squadrons in Delaware however many of the members of #2 went on to other squadrons when they were formed in Delaware. Some members went up to Dover and some went to Smyrna when it was formed as Squadron 10. I have been in CAP Delaware starting in 1976 and a lot of the old timerers were still around then. Those squadrons went on to tow targets for the coastal gunnary stations along the coast here. So while no one can claim a direct lenage there is a lot of pride amung the Delaware Squadrons regarding Rehoboth. I work for the City and have the honer to be in charge of all the monuments to the Fallen Heros of the wars and also to the CAP lost during the War which is up at the Bandstand. Many people do not even know there is a monument there. Over the years living and working for the City for 30 years I have been fortunate to have met a lot of the older CAP members. I do know that at least a half  of dozen or so of the original #2 members did infact join up with other Delaware Squadrons so like Mr. Corbin said there blood does flow in our vains rather  anyon likes it or not.
Dave         

[RiverAux]

That is probably the case, but you've got to remember that Coastal Patrol members came from all over the US, so probably a high percentage of them went back to some CAP squadron or another. 

[piperl4]

We are fortunate here in Rehoboth as a lot was preserved from that time here at City Hall. Rehoboth Airport was just outside the City Limits but was a vital link to Rehoboth in those times. When I started working for the City as a Police Officer in 1973 I got to work by flying from Smyrna airport which was Squadron 10 to Rehoboth Airport and they would pick me up as it was only a 5 min drive. Now that every one found Rehoboth from DC, Phila, and Baltimore it has become so crowded that it now takes about 15 min to get to Airport Road where Rehoboth Airport was located. Rehoboth Airport was closed in the late 80's and developed into a housing development. The last building that was a hanger right next to where I parked my plane was distroyed by the snow just this winter, so the last remains of Rehoboth Airport are now gone. Many of the men and woman from #2 lived in Rehoboth and were part of the movers and shakers of that time for the City. Coastal Squadron #2 flag was in the City Hall vault up to about 10 or 15 years ago when we returned it to the Delaware Wing HQ in Wilmington where it remains today. There are a lot of the families of the members of #2 that still have things like there flight gear and patches hanging around. Rynolds Jones who was a young Lt back then went on to the Dover Squadron for a while then his father had a farm and he convinced him to put a runway in and that became Smyrna airport and eventually squadron 10 That is where I got my license from and Rynolds Jones was who signed me off and gave me my first Form 5 for our PA18 which was a donated L21 or L18 N170T and in the L19 that was also donated by the Military. Rynolds Jones then went on to train my wife and my father and they both got their pilots license from his training. Unfortunatly he passed on quite some time ago but he become the squadron Commander at Squadron 10 back in the 70's. We were very fortunate that a lot of the guys styed local and went on to join the various Squadrons as they were formed in Delaware adn I am sure some moved on to other States. I am not sure how to post pictures on here but I have a lot of the monument to the lost members and am sure a lot of members have never seen it. I do not know if any of the other Coastal stations had any monuments but would be nice to have a collection of them if there are any.
I feel that we all share a common bond with all those men and woman and no one State or City or Squadron can claim the rights their heritage, but instead we all should be proud of what they all created that still functions today. Like I said yesterday we do feel a bond to them as they were members of our community and I was very fortunate to know and talk to some of them over the years and my only goal in working with Mike is that as the Historion for the Dover Squadron to put together as much information as we can on the missing years from 1945 to the 1960's. It seems there as a huge gap there that a lot of history was lost and we are trying to gather up as much as we can as soon the people from that time will be gone. I was sorry to see that someone took offense to Mikes request and beleive me there was no intention to Claim #2 as being ours only.  I think his request for information was missread and Mike was very sorry that it was taken that way. I have been working on a book regarding the Delaware CAP for over a year now and Mike has agreed to help me so please do not take offense for any questions we have asked.
Regards
Dave