Pearl
Harbor propelled the United States into World War I
but many Americans saw the AXIS threat long before Dec.
7, 1941. Among them were nearly 150,000 men and women
involved in aviation.
As early
as 1938,they began to argue for the creation
of an organization to harness their aviation
resources to aid the nation in the event America entered
the conflict. Their efforts, led by writer-aviator
Gill Robb Wilson and supported by
Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold, resulted in the creation
of the Civil Air Patrol on Dec. 1, 1941 - one week
before Pearl Harbor.
First
organized under the Office of Civilian Defense, headed
by former New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Civil
Air Patrol members became the "Minutemen"
of World War II, volunteering their time, resources,
and talents to defend the nation's borders andfill the
gaps as men and resources were being mobilized to fight abroad.
The War
Department, especially the Army Air Forces, recognized the
important roles performed by CAP. In April 1943, CAP
was
reassigned from the Office of Civilian Defense
to the War
Department and placed under the jurisdiction of the
Army Air
Forces.
These Flying Minutemen, all volunteers,
performed valiantly during
the war. They performed many missions including coastal
patrol to
search for enemy submarines, search and rescue missions
throughout the United States, cargo and courier
flights to transfer critical materials and personnel,
and even towing targets so Army Air Corps personnel
could practice air-to-air gunnery techniques - a very
risky mission with new gunner In all, these volunteers amassed
astunning record - flying more than half-a-millionhours,
sinkingtwo enemysubmarines, and saving hundreds of
crash victims.
A thankful
nation recognized the vital role CAP played during the war
and understood the organization could continue to provide
invaluable help to both local and national agencies.
On July
1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 476 that
incorporated CAP as a benevolent, nonprofit organization.
And on May 26, 1948, Congress passed Public Law
557 which permanently established CAP as the Auxiliary
of the new U.S. Air Force. This law also gave
the Secretary of the Air Force the
authority to provide financial and material assistance
to
the organization.
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Address :N/A ( Temperary
HQ)
History of C.A.P
