Just a question dose anybody have any experience with finding CAP artifacts in odd places? I just found my squadron's original Flag on e bay.
We have a hard time controlling this type of thing. The accountability behind some of the older items is extremely hard to trace. I have seen the flag and do not believe that it is from the WWII period.from the looks of it I would say around the late 60's to early 70's. It is not worth the $250 price tag they have. Unless they have some documents supporting the age I would value the flag at about $100 to $150. However the "true value" comes in the desire for the history of the squadron and the worth the members put on it.
To answer the question though: We have no "right" to the item unless we could prove it had been taken from the squadron, since it is on ebay that is dang near impossible.
Historians are asking for full SUI and Unit Inspection so we can develop a catalogue of historical items from the squadron level through National and CAP Historical Foundation. We have no idea what is where. This catalogue is needed to provide a research database and chain of responsibility to preserve our history. So many items have been hoarded in tiny private collections. As many of these collections pass from personal to historians hands (as the original collectors pass away) we need a tracking system to insure preservation into perpetuity. To historians this is as important as Cadet Protection has been to command. I wrote a full recommendation to my Command (Wing and Region) to support a thorough and compliant inspection program. The vote on this issue is due at the upcoming NEC meeting.
Being that an inspection is not currently in place - We (historians) urge an inspection program. If not for the protection of CAP material - For protection of those of us that have taken in items of historical value and want it preserved. In this matter it is not just a top down review but a compliance inspection is necessary for establishing confidence from the bottom up. Let us make collections/items/documents entrusted to historians: Transparent, Compliant, and clean - But most of all researchable.
Gentlemen thank you for the information
For those Squadron's with that older material is there any process to archive or store these items where they can be protected for historical purposes? Other than the Squadron itself. Thanks
Yes you can send the stuff to the National Curator or National Historian and it will be cataloged and used for research. You need to work with your Squadron Commander before you do that and make a record of transfer.
Thanks for the tip...Just wanted to make sure there was a process for it.
From what I've seen LCol Shaw is correct, the flag is from the post war period. The CAP flags I've seen in photos is a white flag with the CAP emblem (triangle and prop). I've only sen one actual WW II flag and that was the design used.
Update ....... The above mentioned flag is the original flag that was hand made fro the Asheville Squadron in the early 1950's, it was confirmed by a member of the squadron from that time.