Coastal Patrol Base 20

[capme]

I'm not sure how to ask this - but of the original Coastal Patrol Bases has any other maintained a continuous charter besides Coastal Patrol Base 20, now known as Maine Wing 38th Composite Squadron?

[SarDragon]

Slightly OT, but Downeast Patrol Composite Squadron sounds so much better than 38th Composite Squadron. The former speaks directly of the history of the unit.

[capme]

I agree.  In my "spare time" I would like to do some interviews and compile the known, and slightly changed by memory, history of the squadron.  We lost a lot of history with the passing of Viola Sargent.

[DC]

Slightly OT, but Downeast Patrol Composite Squadron sounds so much better than 38th Composite Squadron. The former speaks directly of the history of the unit.

Completely OT, but why must a CAP unit rely on its name to remember its history? Military units seem to have no problem keeping a rich historical tradition and a numbered designation.

[SarDragon]

I've taken this to another thread to avoid a Mike Strike. 

[capme]

What is a "Mike Strike"?

[DakRadz]

Captain, it's the best terminology ever thought up. I only saw it a few days ago, and I was looking for just those words, but SarDragon beat me to it... 

"Mike Strike"- referring to a moderator on this board (username MIKE) who oversees the threads and make sure they stay relatively on topic. He may give warnings to valuable threads so they may get back on topic, or he may simply commit a Mike Strike- lock the thread.

[capme]

Okay, so back on point - have any of the other original Coastal patrol Squadrons maintained a continuous charter or is Coastal Patrol Base 20 / MEWG 038 / Downeast Patrol Composite Squadron officially the oldest, continuously chartered CAP Squadron?

I ask for historical reasons.  I was the 21st Squadron Commander.

[Smithsonia]

Answer to this question? ....Coastal Patrol Base No. 3 (Lantana Squadron - Lantana, FL) is the oldest CPB still around to this day.   It originally started in Nov 1940, became known to the public by Jan 1941, organized by the Florida Defense Force from April 1941 to Nov 1941.....they were also in CAP uniforms by August 1941.  The squadron was commanded by Wright Vermilya, Colonel, CAP.   It was originally called the 1st Air Squadron, Air Detachment of the FDF and started at Morrison Army Air Field, West Palm Beach, FL, later moved to Lantana Airport (Auxiliary Field of Morrison AAF).

Answer courtesy of Lt. Col. Mark Hess. GAWG

[capme]

I don't mean to sound redundant - but has it had a continuous charter?  I have found a few of the original CPBs who have rechartered in their original location, under the same name.

If so, my hats off to CPB 3.

[Al Sayre]

I believe Lantana Cadet Squadron SER-FL-054 can trace their roots directly to Patrol Base 3.  I know first hand it had been continuous up through 1978 as Lantana- Lake Worth Composite Squadron, and sometime later became a Cadet Squadron.  My father was a Squadron Commander in the 50's and I was a cadet in the 70's.

SER-MS-051 in Singing River traces their roots directly back to Patrol Base 11 in Pascagoula, and I believe has also been continuous. 

[BillB]

To answer the Patrol Base 3/ Lantana thread. Yes, there has been a CAP unit in Lantana since 1941 (as a CAP unit, not FDF) It has undergone various name changes, but the unit has been in existance since being a Patrol Base. As to charter, there were no such things as Charter Numbers for early Squadrons. The Charter system came after World War II. Squadrons were approved by Wing and National with no charter number. So while a Squadron may have been a Patrol Base during the war, the same  Squadron may have a Charter number that may or may not reflect this.

[RiverAux]

I seriously question whether ANY current CAP unit can claim the actual lineage of the coastal patrol bases since those units were basically national level units and were not related to the Wings in which they were geographically placed.  Just because you had a regular CAP unit in the same town as there was a coastal patrol base does not mean they are related. 

I'd like to see some evidence that any current CAP unit can make such a claim.  Keep in mind we're talking about a coastal patrol base with Capt. Smith in charge one day and with 20 members that the next day was suddenly the Brownsville squadron with the same members.   I've not seen any evidence that this ever happened.  Local unit legend doesn't count.

[C-150]

Coastal Patrol Base 21 in Beaufort N.C. is still in operation and doing well. I am not certain if this is a "remake" of the original or if it has stayed in operation over the years. They are active today doing SAR, Sundown patrols and missions with the Coast Guard in the area.

[RVT]

Squadron 35 dates from 1942 and has been in continuous operation ever since.  I don't know if we were originally one of the Coastal patrol bases or not, but we definitely were one of the wartime units.  Not a reconstitution of such either, theres no break in 68 years of activity.

[NC Hokie]

Coastal Patrol Base 21 in Beaufort N.C. is still in operation and doing well. I am not certain if this is a "remake" of the original or if it has stayed in operation over the years. They are active today doing SAR, Sundown patrols and missions with the Coast Guard in the area.

The original Coastal Patrol Base 21 shut down in August 1943, with many of its active members moving to Driver, Virginia as part of a target towing squadron.  The current Coastal Patrol Base 21 was rechartered in 1964 according to the info on this page:

http://www.mer-nc003cap.org/cpb21.html