History of the Civil Air Patrol

The Civil Air Patrol traces its founding back to early 1941.  Aviation advocates such as Thomas Beck, Gill Rob Wilson, and New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia recognized the need for a civilian air patrol to protect the nation's boarders should America be drawn into the rapidly building war in Europe and the Pacific.  With the support of the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) commander, General Hap Arnold, LaGuardia signed the order creating the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) on 1 December 1941.  A mere six days later the Japanese attacked Peal Harbor sending America into World War II.  Much like the events of following the terrorist attacks against the United States on 11 September 2001, the government grounded all civil aviation.  The pilots of the Civil Air Patrol were called upon to patrol the skies of America.  Again, as we have seen since 11 September 2001, there was a great outpouring of patriotism as Americans from every walk of life asked, “How can I serve my country in time of need?”  The ranks of the CAP swelled during World War II.  To help relieve the USAAF, CAP conducted courier flights, flew search and rescue missions, formed the first CAP Search and Rescue (SAR) ground teams, and in Washington Wing even had a parachutist SAR team.  Soon after its formation, CAP created a cadet corps, similar to the present CAP cadet program.  CAP cadets received military-type training, helped guard airfields, and many learned to fly.  Several of those CAP cadets went on to serve in the USAAF during the war in bombers and fighters over Europe and the Pacific -- many did not come home.  Another significant wartime mission of CAP was the coastal patrol conducted along the east coast from 5 March 1942 to 31 August 1943.  During these 18 months, the CAP coastal patrol spotted 173 German submarines, dropped 83 bombs on 57 of these submarines, damaging several, and sunk at least two.  During 86,685 sorties, the patrol summoned help for 91 ships in distress, and 363 survivors of submarine attack, sighted 17 floating mines, and flew 5,684 special convoy missions for the US Navy.  This service was not without its cost -- 27 Civil Air Patrol pilots and observers were killed and 7 seriously injured.  By the end of the war, CAPs record of 500,000 flying hours and numerous selfless contributions to the war effort had cemented its reputation as an outstanding organization. 

Today's Civil Air Patrol remains full of dedicated men and women, both young and old, volunteering to complete CAP's missions of emergency services, aerospace education, and a cadet program.  They maintain that excellent reputation created by the wartime sacrifices of fellow CAP members.  These people continue to follow that wartime example of courage, honor, professionalism, sacrifice, and patriotism, always holding true to the Civil Air Patrol motto of “Semper Vigilans” -- Always Vigilant.

Personal Connection
I joined Civil Air Patrol in 1985 as a cadet with the Spokane Composite Squadron in Washington Wing.  As a cadet, I earned the Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet award, the General Carl Spaatz Award in 1988.  After turning age 21, I became a senior member in Civil Air Patrol and have been active since then as an adult leader for the Cadet Program.
 
 

Brig Gen Richard Anderson, CAP National Commander from 1993 to 1996.

Fatigue shirt, hat, and insignia from my service as a CAP cadet with Washington Wing from 1985 to 1989.

Museum CAP Holdings

Our collection includes several items from the CAP.  Among these items are uniforms, insignia, and photographs dating from the founding of CAP to the modern day.   Some of the most prized artifacts include a W.W. II CAP officer's uniform, original pilot's wings, and other insignia from CAP's W.W. II era.  A portion of the CAP items in the collection are shown below.
 
 

WW II-era CAP officer's jacket.

Detail view of CAP Pilot Badge from the uniform on the left.

CAP Officer's Jacket from the 1960s.

Civil Air Patrol insignia and badges from W.W. II through the early 1990s.  Included are sterling silver Senior Pilot Wings and Master Observer Wings, cadet rank insignia used from 1956 to 1977 (shown with points up as first used), W.W. II era CAP senior and cadet patches, old style ribbons, W.W. II officer's hat device, and various recently discontinued silver oxide specialty badges.

Collection of CAP cloth patches.  First row (l to r): California Wing, Tennessee Wing, CAP Aerial Radiological Monitoring specialty patch, Missouri Wing, early Florida Wing; second row: CAP Emergency Services Patch, Recently re-introduced CAP ES Patch styled after a design used in the 1950s, Montana Wing; third row: Cadet National Flight Encampment, Minnesota Wing, Oregon Wing Washington County Composite Squadron unit patch, Hawaii Wing, Georgia Wing

Learn More About It
For the official Civil Air Patrol website, click here.

The following are books covering the history of CAP:

1.  Frank A. Burnham. Hero Next Door. (Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishing, 1974).
2.  Carroll V. Glines and Gene Gurney. Minutemen of the Air: The Valiant Exploits of the Civil Air Patrol in Peace and War. (New York: Random House, 1966).
3.  Louis E. Keefer. From Maine to Mexico: With America's Private Pilots in the Fight Against Nazi U-boats. (Reston, VA: COTU Publishing, 1997).
4.  Robert E. Neprud. Flying Minute Men: The Story of Civil Air Patrol. (New York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce, 1948).