Let me be clear and then let us be fair. CAP history is far different than you think. It is different than CAP National distributes.. It is more interesting than we now commonly know. Below are just a few things you do not likely know. There are many many more revelations to come.

I would like to discuss those differences and so begin this thread. The "REAL HISTORY" of CAP. You may think of this as an expose' - I think of it as a simple exposition.

I will supply my sources. You can read those for yourself. I will offer summaries that appear to be opinions or conclusions. If when you read it, then in response you are welcome to supply your sources and conclusions, if different. My sources will be contemporaneous to events. These sources will have facts.

I will try not to overstate my case. I will attempt to stay away from hyperbole. I will invite the same.

While your World War II knowledge of CAP is likely limited to the Sub Hunters there is much new. There is so much more to know. There is much more  - of which to be Proud.

Most dangerous CAP WW2 flying job? Target Tow Pilots!
Second Most dangerous CAP WW2 Flying job? Courier Pilots!

CAP was and is a better organization than you may have thought. CAP has been more innovative than you have thought. CAP has done more in this country's service than you realize.

So let me begin: (see address link below posted on the TeamCap.org site of Mark Hess)
Report and opinion from a contemporary source in 1942 and 1944:
1. CAP owned, operated &/or managed 215 Airports in the USA during WW2. 
2. CAP Constructed 81 of the airports. 
3. CAP also used 403 Airfields to keep civilian flying open through the war. 
4. There were nearly 1,600 Civilian Airports in 1944. Most of those had active CAP members collocated. 
5. CAP helped start the aviation boom after the war too. 
6. Civil Air Patrol used one of the first computers and fostered much innovation.
7. Civil Air Patrol sent many Cadet members into the full variety of military services.
8. But, perhaps our greatest contribution was to bring older senior members in their 30s-40s
    a way back into regular military service. These men would've stayed home but in '43-'45
    when the planes and fields were ready - they jumped into the breach to be instructors, field commanders,
    transport pilots, field service officers, and regular Army bomber, liaison, scout, and command pilots,     
    navigators, and engineers.
   
See report at this address. http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3524

This article pretty well sums up the country's actual thinking of CAP at that time.

Time has manipulated changes to our history that don't hold up under focused light of contemporary research. We don't remember it all. Time has dimmed all of our days.

I begin now by rolling out new research. I have been warned by command that no one will care. I have been warned by fellow historians that the research is erroneous. I ask for fact based correction and receive a flurry of counter opinions. I seek facts more than controversy. I entertain contravening and corroborating facts with the same zeal. I have no agenda but to set the record straight.

Civil Air Patrol was and is one of the finest volunteer organization the world has ever seen. It was and is through our collective energies that the majesty of our service is realized.

By this I know that I have been clear. I trust that you will find the analysis fair.

Kee it up. I'd love to see more posts with even more detailed work. :clap:

As always great work Ed

To become familiar with all CAP history you must know all of the players. BUT, you must also know a bit about the prehistory of the Patrol.

I have introduced you to Jack Curry:
http://captalk.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=855320e72a7506672c51b624d5d8ac65&topic=5582.0

Charlie Weist of the California Wing has introduced you to Gill Robb Wilson. Charlie is in California honoring Gill Robb Wilson (at a grave side Memorial Day service) as I write this piece.

There is another man who influenced both Wilson and Curry. Trubee Davison - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Trubee_Davison

Mr. Davison was one of the early Navy Flyers and former Assistant Sec. of the Army. At Yale he formed a group of Aerial
Admirers... Among this group the idea of a Civilian Coastal Patrol was championed for Life Saving and Maritime Regulation purposed.

Also included in this group was Henry Woodhouse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Woodhouse He is a darker figure full of lawsuits and unhappiness.

So began the prehistory of CAP. This Group and these men were contemporaries of John Curry and Gill Robb Wilson...
but they had more means and could indulge themselves with perks of plane ownership and lessons. They could form a club and out fit it
(in Huntington, Long Island, New York) Huntington was for a time Wilson's home town. Reed Landis and John Curry's boyhood homes were
relatively close. Many people routinely came and went from this club including Charles Lindbergh. From this nest hatched many great ideas.

This place and these men could make flying not just intrepid and daring but sexy cool, magnanimous more than self indulgent.

In an era of break away spirits boldly stepping away from the previous generations these young men drove cars not buggies, smoked cigarettes not cigars, liked jazz and gin
and thought flight was the future. They were also men of stature and so we have "our" cast of Knights Templars or perhaps better said our
Civilian version of the biblical "Abraham's" along with their brothers, family, and friends.

It would be my contention that more than anyone else - Gill Robb Wilson was influenced by this group. Also, that he actually patterned much of his life
after Trubee Davison (these last 2 contentions are strictly opinions of mine).

But we find this group of Yale Men and Gill Robb acting in concert and in fidelity that it is hard to ignore. This dream of a Civilian Coastal Patrol comes along in WW1.
It comes up again in the march to WW2. This idea is preached to and then by - Fiorella LaGuadia, Reed Landis, John Curry, and Gill Robb Wilson. These men grow up rolling this idea around in their brains for decades.

So the truth about the idea of CAP is that it was a collection of ideas - from a collection of men - who dreamed similar dreams from their days as fraternity boys to their middle ages as accomplished men. NEXT - what becomes of these men, their dreams, and ideas.

As always my thanks to Mark Hess of TeamCap.org for supplying much of the research on this project.

Well Said sir. :clap: :clap: :clap:

On this Real History installment we need to go back a little further in time to 1910. This fore-knowledge of our pre-history is necessary as I introduce you to your Great-Great-Great Grandfathers.

Aero Clubs of the NAA (precursor of AOPA and an American off shoot of the French Fédération Aéronautique Internationale which at the time was the international
sanctioning body of flying. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_A%C3%A9ronautique_Internationale
http://books.google.com/books?id=st1LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA626&lpg=PA626&dq=huntington+NY+aviation+club&source=bl&ots=44nlzk0bxf&sig=D7jqa2w2Opzb-e4dCeb1a__-Wb0&hl=en&ei=48jjTbqMCYHo0QGU19StBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=huntington%20NY%20aviation%20club&f=false

This organization of Aero-Clubs began in 1913 and began Publishing "Flying" Magazine in 1914. Yes the same Flying Magazine you can buy today. Above is a book covering the beginnings of the NAA. You will see names like Astor and Dupont as early devotees of Flight. Aerial Photography was a sensation. Aerial views fantastic, stupefying, and stunning. Aerial feats like crossing the Atlantic - undergoing planning. Naive claims like "Within a Generation Aeronautics will Eliminate War" - such were the dreams of flight circa 1915. One of its early promoters was Howard Huntington who would form a Golf/Shooting/Aero Club the following year. http://earlyaviators.com/ehuntin1.htm

Here's a bit of history of Huntington http://wikimapia.org/4361456/Former-site-of-the-Long-Island-Aviation-Country-Club-1929
http://www.longislandearlyfliers.org/news_archive/07marchapril.htm

From these Aero Clubs sprouts the NAA (now AOPA) Take a look at these boy of the air circa 1916 - Civilians embarking on the first Coastal Patrols:
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2668

Here's some of the pictures they brought back:
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2680
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2669

Here's a picture of the 1916 Long Island Naval Militia: http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3581
Here's a large file of Coastal Patrol with many of the characters and missions that we are discussing: http://www.scribd.com/doc/56719315/1916-Aerial-Coast-Patrol-Unit-No-1

Here's an article on the social festivities that preceded the founding of the Aero Clubs. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30914FD395417738DDDAA0894DF405B808DF1D3
If you open and read the article in full near the bottom you will see that this attempt at an altitude record in 1910 about 3000 ft. over Atlantic City NJ. This article has many recognizable names. I spotted 3 names of men who would be Generals in WW2.

Simultaneous to these events was Army development of flight - best illustrated in the biography of H.H (Hap) Arnold. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_H._Arnold
Please note that while Arnold was at March Field in 1933 he assisted in relief efforts after the Long Beach earthquake. This military aid to civilian authorities will come up again.
Where? CAP!

Here's the earliest Civilian Border Patrols as aid to the Army in the Mexican Expedition of 1916. http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=287
Don't forget Carl Spaatz (Spatz) and John F. "Jack" Curry were flying in the Mexican Campaign.

That is a bit of reading to get through, I know. I have introduced you to many new characters and groups. At the moment we are running back and forth and deep into our ancient past like a bad science fiction movie plot. I promise to bring it together.. to move us forward... to make it plain in the next installment of our "Real History."

My thanks to Mark Hess, my compatriot and esteemed researcher for his infinite help in this series. We have 3 more installments to go.

I have provided much reading but it is worth the undertaking. Next is "where these dream took us. The State Guard, The Air National Guard, Aero Clubs, State Defense Forces, Home Guard, and the Civilian Defense Authority - Office of Civil Defense. "

Opinion of the Author -
In a fashion CAP is a highly refined tincture. Boiled and filtered over generations, then boiled again in battle and filtered through need - The Patrol is ointment for America. It took thousand of pieces from the Military, American Industry, American Academia, The spectrum of the American political system and every well meaning hand represented from all races - creeds - colors - genders - and hopes to build us. We come from American Clubs and Philanthropy, American Dreams, Grit, Ingenuity and Know-how. CAP as we see it today took the brain power of tens and scores of thousands to become this highly refined tincture.

We are as American as Apple Pie, Tex-Mex tacos, fresh Seattle Salmon, Little Italy Meatballs on Pasta, San Francisco Chop Suey, St. Lou Barb-e-que, the light bulb, and the... aero-plane.

You are the focal point of a 7 generation dream. Don't knock it, until you fly it!

We come from a century of Pilots and Planes who asked but one question; "America What Can We Do For You?!"

I hope you spent this Memorial Day saluting yourself into right armed muscle cramp. When you get down to it - stones upon graves are not memorials... you are memorials. Mark the glory well. Celebrate the gifts first dreamed, then lived, then given to you.
God Bless you all!

That was great! Thank you for doing all that research!

It strikes me that the founding of the Civil Air Patrol was, as CAP is today, a very local affair.  Sure, the big names organized the structure of the "Greater Organization," but at the Squadron Levels...where the "rubber hits the road..." much of the work was happening from scratch.  I started to think about that when someone questioned a CAP Officer as a "Founder" in another thread since locked.  However, I imagine, in every Wing across the nation there were those local "FOUNDERS" that have just as much claim to the name than the BIG GUYS.

For Example...

QuoteThe First District meeting of the CAP in Corpus Christi was set for 2 January 1942. It was called by Group Commander H.F Clark at the Plaza Hotel.

     Clark had selected his staff and had been appointed by Texas Wing Commander D. H. Byrd of Dallas Byrd had been appointed by Brig General (later Major General) John Curry. W. U. Paul was the executive officer of what was identified as the Corpus Christi District which according to the 2 January 1942 issue of the Corpus Christi Caller Times page 6-B “extends from the Colorado River on the North to Laredo on the south, east to Alice, Kingsville and Corpus Christi.” The article went on to describe some Wing level Officers.

     There was an urgent need for ground crews and the article called out for his need. There was also a need for private and commercial pilots, ground crews for airports and other men skilled in Aviation crafts. Additionally, delegations from “Alice, Kingsville, Laredo, Victoria and Houston, as well as other communities in the region” were expected.

     Wing Commander Byrd stressed the importance of quickly organizing a force that could begin patrols in an effective manner.

     According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times Saturday 3 January 1942 page 2, Section A, “Eighty-Three civilians, including 50 pilots and five licensed airplane mechanics, last night [2 January 1943] met on the Plaza Hotel Dock to hasten the organization of the Civil Air Patrol, air arm of the Civilian Defense Council.”

     The article documents the meeting’s purpose of outlining the duties of Civilian Pilots in CAP, including the fact that CAP members could not belong to the Texas Defense Guard’s air arm citing that CAP is a civilian project while the TDG was a military organization. The group also discussed how CAP would work and how it would relate to other agencies.

     The names of speakers was published along with their positions. W. U. Paul, acting Executive Officer for the Corpus Christi District presided under the auspices of Commander H.F. Clark. Speeches were made by Roy Wade of Austin, Executive Secretary of the War Duty Officer of the Texas DPS Capt George Schaucer, DPS Director of Public Safety H. K. Stanfield, Group Commander of the San Antonio District Les Mauldin, Brownsville Group Commander R. B. King and Civilian Defense Council Judge Joe D. Browning. Local Officials included Nueces Co. Defense Council Head Joe Fogaley, Vice Chair/coordinator of Corpus Christi Civilian Defense, Rod More (Acting Wing Adjutant of CAP), Dr. C. J. Connor (State Medical Officer), Stanton Bell (acting Communications Officer and a few others. Judge Cullen W. Biggs, Acting CAP Intelligence Officer, read a pamphlet on organizing a CAP unit.

Some of you may never have heard of these names or places, however, in this area names like " Les Mauldin," who was an aviation Pioneer in Brownsville, Texas, and places like Alice, Kinsgville and Nueces County, Texas are very significant and, sadly, lost to the overall CAP history.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Joe;
You are very much on point!

This portion of our topic will be in the next Real History installment. But let me save this for Thursday afternoon when I'll have more.

Thanks for checking in one and all.

So now you've read the previous 3 major research laden postings on this Real History thread. You are aware of various characters and (prior to WW1) the various routes taken to build what would become CAP. You've seen the Civilian Missions of Mercy, Coastal Patrols, Border Patrol, Military working homeland disasters. You've met the predecessors and precursors to CAP.

You've also read about the mentors and king makers to our CAP legendary founders and fathers. You know the bloodlines. Now our heritage. A legacy of men, machines, and ideas that goes back to a small group of Coastal Patrol circa 1916. The important people were ADM. Robert Peary, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Peary , and Trubee Davison (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Trubee_Davison - http://www.scribd.com/doc/56914280/1916-Aerial-Coast-Patrol - http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3658. Trubee Davison is the first man to notice that a shallowly submerged submarine could be seen from air (as a moving shadow) and notice that a deeper submerged submarine put out a detectable surface wake. This wake is tough to see at the surface but apparent in the air.

Actually, the concept of American Coast Bound Air Defense seems to predate Billy Mitchell and reside with ADM Robert Peary (circa 1911) but that is just a researcher's notion at the moment.

When Adm Peary died in 1920 so did this American Coastal Patrol group but not this idea. But, not this concept. Not this dream.

Let's move to the inter-war years of 1925-1940.

The Army has already sacked Billy Mitchell (Oct. '25). There is a small cadre of front line air officers who survived the purge- from Hap Arnold, Carl Spatz (Spaatz),  John F. "Jack" Curry, Ira Eakers, Robert Olds and many more who have seen what air-power can do. The dream lived... in hibernation. (as proof that these officers were part of this early movement please read this Hap Arnold article from Flying magazine in 1920 on Forest Fire Patrol. http://www.scribd.com/doc/56957137/1921-Aerial-Forest-Fire-Patrol )

These Officers had gone to war in Mexico (Punitive Expedition 1916) and France. (WW1-1918)

During these wars American pilots had flown foreign built airships that were better performing than their own American built aircraft. Queued up were the likes of Glenn Martin, Donald Douglas, Leroy Grumman, Jim McDonnell, William Boeing, and Glenn Curtiss.  These men were ready to innovate and build higher performing aircraft. Some are designers or draftsmen. Some are engineers and entrepreneurs - all are eager and ambitious. Flying has crept into them so deep as to cause them no restful nights and fits of anger as they wrestle through every mechanical and biological problem.

The Army wanted mission capable planes. They wanted specific built pursuit, bomber, fighter, liaison, transport, seaplane and escort aircraft.

The urgency of the tasks were metaphysical. Humans were flying faster and higher than birds. With bombs and guns, human stings blew bye the bees. In the air we were just barely demigods. But the heavens beckoned. No humans had anything in Nature or religion to compare with this experience and everything was novel. Everything was new. Everyone was unprepared. Every sensation was fresh. Every one blundered forward.

The noise of whipping to deadline, epithet filled and gnashed-teeth grumbles, the tearing off and wadding-up of paper ideas, the hollow ring of throw-away wads hitting the ash can of frustration, and the funeral dirges of mangled pilots was their daily experience. Flying wasn't just risky it was deadly. To this deadly serious business were lashed civilians, adventurers, academics, the military, and all manner of egos and fools. The surge of invention and problems solved was the diet of every single day. No one was spared. No risk too daring. No individual life too precious.

This created multiple promoted pipelines of interests and people:
1. The Military, (represented by JF. Curry, Carl Spaatz) http://captalk.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=855320e72a7506672c51b624d5d8ac65&topic=5582.0
2. individual states, (represented by National Guard State Adjutants and 37 State Governors.)
3. private owners, (represented by Gill Robb Wilson, Guy Gannett, and Grover Loening) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Loening - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gannett_Communications - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gill_Robb_Wilson
4. and The Office of Civilian Defense (Represented by Fiorella LaGuardia and Reed Landis)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Civilian_Defense
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiorello_La_Guardia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_G._Landis - http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3663

(a) The Aero Clubs (Civic responsibilities and private owners) (b) Army (Civil Defense and air bases) (c) and 37 States (Guard and Defense agencies) all had different committees, organizations, and lines of reporting and authority.

Airships, organization, and instruction were unavailable to most states. There was NO National Guard Air components yet. Air National Guard was not organized until after WW2. (1947) Planes and men of the Guard were limited to states with big air bases. Pre-WW2 this was Peterson (CO.), Kirtland (NM), Davis Monthan (AZ), and March (SO-CAL) in the Southwest US had an air reserve unit. Other areas were similarly provisioned. National Guard Adjutants were begging for help from flyers and air resources.  So areas that needed help from the sky relied on aid from precious resources mostly out of town.

By 1940 the panicky need was apparent for a National Civilian or Military supported air service. THEN beginning the spring of '41 the Office of Civil Defense became a full franchised master planner of the American Homeland Response to the impending war. Beginning in the Summer of '41 CAP was given to JF Curry under the auspices of the Office of Civilian Defense was to organize something called the Civil Air Patrol. At this moment we were nothing more than a name.

Read here and you will see the summoning of all of these various bodies into one thing... the Civil Air Patrol. These articles are taken from early 1942.
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3622
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3625

Take these articles and multiply by 10s of thousands of times and you have the Civil AIr Patrol. CAP swept up the State Guard AIr Units, Aero Clubs, and Airborne Defense Forces. The pieces came together in the first 8 months of 1942. We are a whole that was built for longevity. We are a composite of smaller ideas and unrelenting but tinier dreams. 


Author's opinion:
To suggest that we were created whole and without blemish is to suggest the impossible. CAP is made from cloth torn from first solo t-shirts, old mens dreams, body bags, and the charcoal of many a pilots funeral pyres. We are made of dead brain cells and fresh ideas. We are made of stiffened and broken backbones and tons of sweat. We are made to be more than we think. We can do anything. Because among all humans born without wings and nothing but dreams, we can actually fly. Next time - the blemishes and the years of hard labor that made CAP's birth possible.

My appreciation for research provided by Mark Hess, Lt. Col. GA/WG and www.teamcap.org -

I have been reminded - If you've read the previous installments of the Real History of CAP (see above) - I've mentioned a number of Yale Men who formed the first Coastal Patrols in 1916. Hiram Bingham III should be included: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Bingham_III My apology for leaving him out. He discovered Manchu Picchu. He ran the NAA before Gill Robb Wilson, was a Senator from CT. and was hounded from office in a political witch hunt. AND, was one of our unknown forefathers. Hiram was NAA President for a time. Trubee Davison and Gill Robb Wilson followed as Presidents, later on.

We have covered the multitude of pieces that made up CAP pre WW2. To recap: Aero Clubs (NAA beginning 1910), State Guard (beginning Aug '41), State Defense Forces (beginning early '41), local Flying Clubs, and the Office of Civilian Defense (beginning Apr. 1941). Later, during the war CAP would be recipients of WACs, WASPs, and others. But lets stay with the Pre-War's activities.

In July of 1941 Carl Spaatz was asked by Fiorello LaGuadia to become CAP's first commander. Hap Arnold or Spaatz himself declined and passed the names of John F. Curry and a contemporary of Curry's named George Stratemeyer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Stratemeyer

How they settled on Curry is unknown. Likely it had to do with John Curry's years of building bases, like Wright Field, and programs, like the Tactical Air Command.  But, it could have been by a coin flip too.

LaGuardia knew Curry from WW1 and both were from New York City. At this moment I don't know how close these men were. In a train tour of the country during late July and early August '41 it is presumed that LaGuardia laid out his vision for the Patrol. LaGaurda visited Denver on this tour and met with Curry for 2 days. About 2 weeks later Curry, then 2nd Air Force Commander and living in Denver, began work collecting these pieces and parts into one organization, the Civil Air Patrol.

The State Guards and Defense Units which were already performing duties with the local states National Guard units as an Air Auxiliary were ready by Oct/Nov. Notice the Florida Defense men of Oct. 41. Notice the uniform, plane, and paint - several months ahead of CAP formal announcement. http://exhibits.teamcap.org/displayimage.php?album=164&pid=415#top_display_media

For instance from the St. Petersburg Florida Times Nov. 14th 1941.

CIVIL AIR PATROL MEETING DELAYED
"A conference of the Florida Wing, Civil Air Patrol, scheduled to meet at the Coast Guard Air base has been postponed until further notice by orders of headquarters in Washington... ... delay in completing the National Plan has made this postponement necessary."

The Defense Forces/State Guards were uniformed, marching, signing up new members and making plans. Some (Florida for instance) were jumping the gun and calling themselves Civil Air Patrol units by late Oct. '41. They were wearing red-epaulets and khakis as early as August 41. Some of these state Guard Units (CT/WG for instance) began as early as 1940.

Now think about what it would be like if you wanted to turn your local airport flying clubs into a National Service Organization. They wouldn't be ready without training, information, and a new insight into the military world versus the civilian world. So while CAP was a real thing by late Oct to early November 1941... many of the pieces weren't ready. A six week delay for organizational purposes meant the announcement was postponed until Dec. 1 1941.

Here's an early announcement Jan. 3 '42 http://exhibits.teamcap.org/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=473#top_display_media

Here's a meeting in New York/New Jersey early January '42. Please notice those attending http://exhibits.teamcap.org/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=493#top_display_media

It would take another 8 months for it all to come together (Meaning July/Aug. 1942) for the Aero Clubs to be folded into CAP. By July '42, about the same time
the Aero Clubs (then led by Gill Robb Wilson) were ready Mr. Wilson left CAP to run for a Senate Seat from New Jersey. (his campaign was unsuccessful)

However, by this time CAP had opened the Coastal Patrol Bases. CAP was delivering important War mail with the Couriers. CAP was ready for war. During these early months two more of our main characters John Curry  and Fiorello LaGuardia left. Curry became Army Air Corps Western District Training Commander in May '42. Basically he was in charge of all primary and bomber training West of the Mississippi. Col. Earle Johnson took over CAP at this point and led us through WW2. That said, Curry remained in communications with CAP HQ and performed as a liaison with the Army. To what extent is not currently known. AND, Fiorello LaGuadia left the Office of Civilian Defense in what is described as a political dispute Mrs. Roosevelt, in early '43.

My thought through this series was to show the eager men and women who composed CAP arrived from various walks of life. To introduce the concept that CAP is made of Volunteers from an aggregate of civilians, who over time, lived Service First. Some are remembered, some forgotten, all contributed.

Also, I'd like to say that the contributions of all serving Commanders, Staff, Pilots, Mechanics, Armorers, Duty, Ops, Training, and Advisory Personnel should be remembered. Take this list http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2460 and multiply it by 10,000 times - then all the great volunteers who deserve our gratitude - will receive a proper thank-you.

Research done by Lt. Col. Mark Hess and Capt. Ed O'Brien

Great! I got lot of information here. I was unaware of the facts about the real history of CAP.

Dale;
Glad you liked it and happy to help. In the name of researchers Mark Hess and Frank Blazich of TeamCap.org- we wish you well and years fo CAP history enjoyment.

Stay tuned there will be new thread in a few weeks on the CAP Sub-hunters. We should be termed Sub Chasers and for good reasons. It is obvious by our new research - CAP wasn't designed to sink subs but protect convoys, choke points, and harbor mouths. Our biggest contributions to the war effort have been ignored, lost, forgotten, or improperly explained.

CAP did some of our best work as over-flight little brothers and have never received the proper credit. This explains the locations of CAP bases. This explains our anti sub procedures. This explains the lack of sub sinkings. This explains much and as far as I can tell - The context in which we worked - has never been understood in any detail. Until Now!!!

Thanks Ed O'Brien.

Greetings from Alaska.  We do not have a Wing Historian at present.  As Wing PAO, I was trying to prep for Anniversary/Proclamations/SEARCH MISSION FOR CGM Candidates, and help set up a CAP exhibit at the Veteran's Museum.

Started looking around in the boxes and files of old newspaper clippings and photos. 25 boxes or so. Slightly overwhelming. Sorted color photos from Black/White. Sorted images with Captions from unlabled.

Signed up to join at TEAMCAP.org- not understanding how to use other than as a photo album.

Would love to add images and get images labled.  Have current history of Alaska Wing Commanders.  I wish I had complete staff rosters and member rosters.

Jennifer