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"I just want to thank you"

Started by TheSkyHornet, September 29, 2015, 01:56:43 PM

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TheSkyHornet

This past Sunday, we worked a booth to recruit at a local air/car show.

An older gentleman, roughly 70, stopped by with his grandson, 12, and said he hadn't seen much of CAP in recent years but it was nice to see CAP still going. He said about 35 years ago, he had been flying at night and got lost looking for his home airport after becoming disoriented. He had circled for quite some time and felt like he would never find his way back to the runway. He finally called out over Unicom saying he was lost and needed help getting back, and about then he was starting to panic, when after a few minutes of radioing, a CAP plane flying in the area radioed back that they would fly over to his airport and help find where the lost plane was. The CAP plane managed to spot the navigation lights of the lost aircraft, and was able to get the plane to fly straight and level while the CAP plane flew up in front and instructed the pilot to follow them down to the airport.

The gentleman said he would always remember what CAP did for him and said he really appreciates the service CAP still does today, even though we may not always get the recognition by the public. He would like his grandson to consider joining CAP to help make him a well-rounded young man and do good for his community and country.

Such a brief, yet powerful, story to hear.

JC004


LTC Don

Donald A. Beckett, Lt Col, CAP
Commander
MER-NC-143
Gill Rob Wilson #1891

lordmonar

PATRICK M. HARRIS, SMSgt, CAP

JC004

This made me think of something that I encountered in 2006.  We had a missing aircraft search for CAP SM David Weiss (flying a private aircraft), who was later found deceased.  The little girl decided to thank us in the best way she knew how.  I took this photo, which was published by a few wings and then went into the Volunteer magazine. 


TheSkyHornet

Maj Colgan,

It's a shame that it sometimes takes tragedies like that to get some recognition, back that's exactly where selfless service comes into play with CAP, and even though we may not get the attention, we do some really good work that does make a difference to even the smallest of people.