Civil Air Patrol Historical Foundation

[bosshawk]

Jim: congratulations.  It is always good to see a plan come together.  Now, get to work.

[caphornbuckle]

I've recently been to the Air Force Museum at WPAFB.  It's kinda depressing to see how much CAP has taken the back seat there lately.  Back in the early 90's, they used to have sort of a "Wall of Fame" that used to be displayed that was nothing but busts of CAP members (or founders).  It would be nice if that could be found, dusted off, and displayed again somewhere, if it hasn't already.

[bosshawk]

I spent 7 hours at the AF Museum in early Sept and saw nothing about CAP, except a uniform display of very limited extent.  Of course, in 7 hours I did not see everything in the museum and I really wasn't looking for CAP stuff.  My major focus was the airplanes.

[caphornbuckle]

I spent 7 hours at the AF Museum in early Sept and saw nothing about CAP, except a uniform display of very limited extent.  Of course, in 7 hours I did not see everything in the museum and I really wasn't looking for CAP stuff.  My major focus was the airplanes.

2 CAP planes are in the rafters in the Presidential Aircraft hangar.  That's all I found.

EDIT:  (Except for the bench outside)

[bosshawk]

You are correct: after I made my post and went to bed, I remembered the two planes hanging from the ceiling of the Presidential Display.

[flyboy53]

You are correct: after I made my post and went to bed, I remembered the two planes hanging from the ceiling of the Presidential Display.

You need to look a little closer. There are actually three CAP planes at the Air Force Museum: A yellow Piper Cub from the Ohio Wing, A red and white Fairchild 24 that either flew anti-sub or was stationed at Coastal Patrol Base 2 and was owned by an Air Medal winner; and an Aero Commander U-4B that was first used to fly President Eisenhower and then ended service with the Nebraska Wing.

As I remember, the Museum used to host the CAP's national hall of fame. It's too bad if that display is no longer there. There were uniforms in one end of the display for Ruth Congren, who was only a corporal in World War II but was a lieutenant colonel and finance officer for the two Indiana Wing Encampments that I attended at Chanute AFB, IL. back in the 1970s.

I'm also aware of permanent archives there containing patches from the uniform of Capt. H. Douglas Brown who was a friend of Gill Robb Wilson, an Air Mail pilot, and wartime organizer of the CAP in the Pennsylvania Wing. He actually did a tour of active service as a CAP flight instructor for the AAF. There are also pieces of the Airship Roma collected from the crash site at Langley, VA, by then AAC Cadet and later CAP Maj. Don Beatty who would later become a PA Wing Group Commander.

[bosshawk]

I'll certainly fess up to not having looked real hard for CAP stuff during my visit to the museum.  As I said in another post, I was there to look at airplanes: I found it hard to worry about little, cloth airplanes when I had Buffs, B-2, B-1 and every Century Series fighter to ogle, plus an F-22 and etc, etc.  My emphasis was not at all directed to what CAP stuff they had.  In fact, CAP was probably as far from my mind as it could get during that trip.

[caphornbuckle]

You are correct: after I made my post and went to bed, I remembered the two planes hanging from the ceiling of the Presidential Display.

You need to look a little closer. There are actually three CAP planes at the Air Force Museum: A yellow Piper Cub from the Ohio Wing, A red and white Fairchild 24 that either flew anti-sub or was stationed at Coastal Patrol Base 2 and was owned by an Air Medal winner; and an Aero Commander U-4B that was first used to fly President Eisenhower and then ended service with the Nebraska Wing.

As I remember, the Museum used to host the CAP's national hall of fame. It's too bad if that display is no longer there. There were uniforms in one end of the display for Ruth Congren, who was only a corporal in World War II but was a lieutenant colonel and finance officer for the two Indiana Wing Encampments that I attended at Chanute AFB, IL. back in the 1970s.

I'm also aware of permanent archives there containing patches from the uniform of Capt. H. Douglas Brown who was a friend of Gill Robb Wilson, an Air Mail pilot, and wartime organizer of the CAP in the Pennsylvania Wing. He actually did a tour of active service as a CAP flight instructor for the AAF. There are also pieces of the Airship Roma collected from the crash site at Langley, VA, by then AAC Cadet and later CAP Maj. Don Beatty who would later become a PA Wing Group Commander.

Come to think of it, I do remember seeing a few patches designed by artists from Disney (more than Pluto).  I guess I missed the Aero Commander though.

I asked about the CAP display a couple of years ago and it took going through a few volunteers to even find the CAP aircraft.  One of them told me that the rest is probably in the archives but wasn't sure.  Maybe something the Historical Foundation could look into?

[jimmydeanno]

Come to think of it, I do remember seeing a few patches designed by artists from Disney (more than Pluto).  I guess I missed the Aero Commander though.

During the 2009 National Staff College, the gift to the lecturers was a reproduction patch of the original RKO studios, coastal patrol base patches.  There were numerous ones, all with pretty neat designs.

I thought that I might be able to find some using google, but only came across this article about the history of squadron patches:

I have seen RKO marked patches for nearly every unit that ever saw service in the Air Corps, including various flight schools, air warden/ civil air patrol units, even gunnery and navigation schools. I find it highly unlikely that RKO Radio Pictures would have planned on producing a movie so monumental it would include basic training schools and the civil air patrol.

http://www.398th.org/Images/Images_Identifications/Patches_Squadron.html

I also found this example: http://viewitem.eim.ebay.dk/WWII_USAAF_CIVIL_AIR_PATROL_DISNEY_PASCAGOULA__SQ_PATCH/120624146341/item/index.en-US.html

[JohnKachenmeister]

Lets see... regular guys in little airplanes flying out over the ocean with bombs strapped to them trying to sink enemy warships that terrorized sailors off the coast of America.  Wives and girlfriends on the radio listening for their distress calls, a rescue by landing a seaplane and water-taxi back to shore, Flying patrols for forest fires caused by balloon bombs over the Northwest United States, patroling the desert for German infiltrators along the Mexican border, and rescuing young men who crashed their airplanes in training.

Sounds like an RKO movie to me.

All you have to add is the part about two dashing flyers who are in love with the same girl.  One has to die, of course.

[flyboy53]

So, how about getting the Historical Foundation to advocate for a small section in the same hanger where the three planes are and setting up some other displays. I can see it now, a reproduction of the ops section of a costal patrol base. How about a ground team doing it's thing. How about an audio visual display with those old AF films about what we do? A collection of insignia and uniforms......

[caphornbuckle]

So, how about getting the Historical Foundation to advocate for a small section in the same hanger where the three planes are and setting up some other displays. I can see it now, a reproduction of the ops section of a costal patrol base. How about a ground team doing it's thing. How about an audio visual display with those old AF films about what we do? A collection of insignia and uniforms......

The hangar is primarily used for past Presidential Aircraft (Kennedy's Air Force One and others).  It does have experimental aircraft on the other side.  There is no room for anything more there.  Besides that, the hangar is in the restricted part of the base (for now) and requires a shuttle bus to get to.

But I do like the idea of the display though.  Maybe when they expand the museum in the near future, it might be something to consider then.

[flyboy53]

I would hope that NHQ thinks about donating a Cessna 172 or T-41 to the Museum. So many of the 172s are leaving our inventory now and end up in Air Force Aero Clubs.

There's a really cool book written by Walter Shiel that details the T-41 Mescalero. I didn't realize that the Air Force's adoption of the military version of the 172 started with a model specially built for the CAP and we didn't want it -- so the Air Force took it as a primary trainer.

Then the Air Force considered other uses for the 172. Can you also imagine a 172 with bomb or rocket racks and a sight for the pilot....it's all in that book.

[James Shaw]

I am happy to announce that Jill Robb Paulson (Grand Daughter of Gill Robb Wilson) has accepted my invitation to act in an advisory and spokesperson capacity with the CAP Historical Foundation. She will not be a member of the Board but will speak about the legacy of Gill Robb Wilson both CAP founder and person.  She does speaking engagements centered around GRW and may also talk about CAP history.

She has joined CAP as a Chaplain and is starting on the Historian track as well.

She has a very large amount of respect for the CAP and it's history program.

We are very happy she has accepted our invitation.

[SarDragon]

That is great news! I had a nice chat with her at the San Diego NB meeting. She is a very interesting person.