I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5859 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of 

the Civil Air Patrol. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 26, 2010 

Mr. FILNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House 

Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War 

II members of the Civil Air Patrol. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) The volunteer members of the Civil Air Pa6 trol (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘CAP’’) 

7 during World War II, civilian men and women rang8 ing in age from 19 to 81, provided extraordinary 


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1 public and combat services during a critical time of 

2 need for the Nation. 

3 (2) During the war, CAP members used their 

4 own aircraft to perform a myriad of essential tasks 

5 for the military and the Nation within the United 

6 States, including attacks on enemy submarines off 

7 the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United 

8 States. 

9 (3) This extraordinary service set the stage for 

10 the post-war CAP to become a valuable nonprofit, 

11 public service organization chartered by Congress 

12 and the Auxiliary of the United States Air Force 

13 that provides essential emergency, operational, and 

14 public services to communities, States, the Federal 

15 Government, and the military. 

16 (4) The CAP was established, initially as a part 

17 of the Office of Civil Defense, by air-minded citizens 

18 one week before the surprise attack on Pearl Har19 bor, Hawaii, on December 1, 1941, ‘‘out of the de20 sire of civil airmen of the country to be mobilized 

21 with their equipment in the common defense’’ of the 

22 Nation. 

23 (5) Within days of the start of the war, the 

24 German Navy started a massive submarine offensive, 

25 known as Operation Drumbeat, off the east coast of 


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1 the United States against oil tankers and other crit2 ical shipping that threatened the overall war effort. 

3 (6) Neither the Navy nor the Army had enough 

4 aircraft, ships, or other resources to adequately pa5 trol and protect the shipping along the Atlantic and 

6 Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, and 

7 many ships were torpedoed within sight of civilians 

8 on shore, including 52 tankers sunk between Janu9 ary and March 1942. 

10 (7) At that time General George Marshall re11 marked that ‘‘[t]he losses by submarines off our At12 lantic seaboard and in the Caribbean now threaten 

13 our entire war effort’’. 

14 (8) From the beginning CAP leaders urged the 

15 military to use its services to patrol coastal waters 

16 but met with great resistance because of the non17 military training and status of CAP pilots. 

18 (9) Finally, in response to the ever-increasing 

19 submarine attacks, the Tanker Committee of the Pe20 troleum Industry War Council urged the Navy De21 partment and the War Department to consider the 

22 use of the CAP to help patrol the sea lanes off the 

23 coasts of the United States. 


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1 (10) While the Navy initially rejected this sug2 gestion, the Army decided it had merit, and the Civil 

3 Air Patrol Coastal Patrol began in March 1942. 

4 (11) Oil companies and other organizations pro5 vided funds to help pay for some CAP operations, 

6 including vitally needed shore radios that were used 

7 to monitor patrol missions. 

8 (12) By late March 1942, the Navy also began 

9 to use the services of the CAP. 

10 (13) Starting with three bases located in Dela11 ware, Florida, and New Jersey, CAP aircrews imme12 diately started to spot enemy submarines as well as 

13 lifeboats, bodies, and wreckage. 

14 (14) Within 15 minutes of the first Coast Pa15 trol flight, the pilot had sighted a torpedoed tanker 

16 and was coordinating rescue operations. 

17 (15) Eventually 21 bases, ranging from Bar 

18 Harbor, Maine, to Brownsville, Texas, were set up 

19 for the CAP to patrol the Atlantic and Gulf of Mex20 ico coasts of the United States, with 40,000 volun21 teers participating. 

22 (16) The CAP used a wide range of civilian23 owned aircraft, mainly light-weight, single engine 

24 aircraft—manufactured by Cessna, Beech, Waco, 

25 Fairchild, Stinson, Piper, Taylorcraft, and Sikorsky, 


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1 among others—as well as some twin engine aircraft 

2 such as the Grumman Widgeon. 

3 (17) These aircraft were painted in their civil4 ian prewar colors (red, yellow, blue, etc.) and carried 

5 special markings (a blue circle with a white triangle) 

6 to identify them as CAP aircraft. 

7 (18) Patrols were conducted up to 100 miles off 

8 shore, generally with 2 aircraft flying together, in 

9 aircraft often equipped with only a compass for navi10 gation and a single radio for communication. 

11 (19) Due to the critical nature of the situation, 

12 CAP operations were conducted in bad weather as 

13 well as good, often when the military was unable to 

14 fly, and in all seasons (including the winter) when 

15 ditching an aircraft in cold water would likely mean 

16 certain death to the aircrew. 

17 (20) Personal emergency equipment was often 

18 lacking, particularly during early patrols where inner 

19 tubes and kapok duck hunter vests were carried as 

20 flotation devices since ocean worthy wet suits, life 

21 vests, and life rafts were unavailable. 

22 (21) The initial purpose of the CAP was to spot 

23 submarines, report their position to the military, and 

24 force them to dive below the surface, which limited 


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1 their operating speed and maneuverability and re2 duced their ability to detect and attack shipping. 

3 (22) It soon became apparent that there were 

4 opportunities for CAP pilots to attack submarines, 

5 such as when a Florida CAP aircrew came across a 

6 surfaced submarine that quickly stranded itself on a 

7 sand bar. However, the aircrew could not get any as8 sistance from armed military aircraft before the sub9 marine freed itself. 

10 (23) Finally, after a number of these instances, 

11 a decision was made by the military to arm CAP air12 craft with 50- and 100-pound bombs, and to arm 

13 some larger twin engine aircraft with 325-pound 

14 depth charges. 

15 (24) The arming of CAP aircraft dramatically 

16 changed the mission for these civilian aircrews and 

17 resulted in more than 57 attacks on enemy sub18 marines. 

19 (25) While CAP volunteers received $8 a day 

20 flight reimbursement, their patrols were accom21 plished at a great economic cost to many of the 

22 members of the CAP who— 

23 (A) used their own aircraft and other 

24 equipment in defense of the Nation; 


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1 (B) paid for much of their own aircraft 

2 maintenance and hangar use; and 

3 (C) often lived in primitive conditions 

4 along the coast, including old barns and chicken 

5 coops converted for sleeping. 

6 (26) More importantly, the CAP Coastal Patrol 

7 service came at the high cost of 26 fatalities, 7 seri8 ous injuries, and 90 aircraft lost. 

9 (27) At the conclusion of the 18-month Coastal 

10 Patrol, the heroic CAP aircrews would be credited 

11 with the following: 

12 (A) 2 submarines destroyed or damaged; 

13 (B) 57 submarines attacked; 

14 (C) 82 bombs dropped against submarines; 

15 (D) 173 radio reports of submarine posi16 tions (with a number of credited assists for kills 

17 made by military units); 

18 (E) 17 floating mines reported; 

19 (F) 36 dead bodies reported; 

20 (G) 91 vessels in distress reported; 

21 (H) 363 survivors in distress reported; 

22 (I) 836 irregularities noted; 

23 (J) 1,036 special investigations at sea or 

24 along the coast; 

25 (K) 5,684 convoy missions for the Navy; 


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1 (L) 86,685 missions flown; 

2 (M) 244,600 total flight hours logged; and 

3 (N) more than 24,000,000 miles flown. 

4 (28) At least one high-level German Navy Offi5 cer credited the CAP with being the primary reason 

6 that submarine attacks were withdrawn from the At7 lantic coast of the United States in 1943 when he 

8 said that ‘‘[i]t was because of those damned little 

9 red and yellow planes!’’. 

10 (29) The CAP was dismissed from coastal mis11 sions with little thanks in August 1943 when the 

12 Navy took over the mission completely and ordered 

13 the CAP to stand down. 

14 (30) While the Coastal Patrol was ongoing, the 

15 CAP was also establishing itself as a vital wartime 

16 service to the military, States, and communities na17 tionwide by performing a wide range of missions in18 cluding— 

19 (A) border patrol; 

20 (B) forest fire patrol; 

21 (C) courier flights for mail, repair and re22 placement parts, and urgent deliveries; 

23 (D) emergency transportation of personnel; 


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1 (E) target towing (with live ammunition 

2 being fired at the targets and seven lives being 

3 lost) and searchlight tracking training missions; 

4 (F) missing aircraft and personnel 

5 searches; 

6 (G) rescue of aircraft crash survivors; 

7 (H) radar training flights; 

8 (I) aerial inspections of camouflaged mili9 tary and civilian facilities; 

10 (J) aerial inspections of city and town 

11 blackout conditions; 

12 (K) mock bombing attacks on cities and 

13 facilities to test air defenses; 

14 (L) aerial searches for scrap metal mate15 rials; 

16 (M) support of war bond drives; 

17 (N) airport guard duties; 

18 (O) support for State and local emer19 gencies such as natural disasters; 

20 (P) recruiting for the Army Air Force; and 

21 (Q) a cadet youth program which provided 

22 aviation and military training. 

23 (31) The CAP flew more than 500,000 hours 

24 on these additional missions, including— 


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1 (A) 20,500 missions involving target tow2 ing (with live ammunition) and gun/searchlight 

3 tracking which resulted in 7 deaths, 5 serious 

4 injuries, and the loss of 25 aircraft; 

5 (B) a courier service involving 3 major Air 

6 Force Commands over a 2-year period carrying 

7 more than 3,500,000 pounds of vital cargo and 

8 543 passengers; 

9 (C) southern border operations flying more 

10 than 30,000 hours, with 7,000 reports of un11 usual sightings including a vehicle (that was ap12 prehended) with 2 enemy agents attempting to 

13 enter the country; 

14 (D) a week in February 1945 during which 

15 CAP units found seven missing Army and Navy 

16 pilots; and 

17 (E) a State in which the CAP flew 790 

18 hours on forest fire patrol missions and re19 ported 576 fires to authorities during a single 

20 year. 

21 (32) On April 29, 1943, the CAP was trans22 ferred to the Army Air Forces, thus beginning its 

23 long association with the United States Air Force. 


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1 (33) Hundreds of CAP-trained women joined 

2 military women’s units including the Women’s Air 

3 Force Service Pilots (WASP) program. 

4 (34) Many members of the Women’s Air Force 

5 Service Pilots program joined or rejoined the CAP 

6 during the post-war period because it provided 

7 women opportunities to fly and continue to serve the 

8 Nation that were severely lacking elsewhere. 

9 (35) Due to the exceptional emphasis on safety, 

10 unit discipline, and pilot discipline, and the organi11 zation of the CAP, by the end of the war only 64 

12 members of the CAP had died in service and only 

13 150 aircraft had been lost (including its Coastal Pa14 trol loses from early in the war). 

15 (36) It is estimated that more than 200,000 ci16 vilians were members of the CAP in wide range of 

17 positions and that CAP aircrews flew a total of ap18 proximately 750,000 hours during the war, most of 

19 which was in their personal aircraft and often at 

20 real risk to their lives. 

21 (37) After the war, at a CAP dinner for Con22 gress, a quorum of both Houses attended with the 

23 Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 

24 President thanking the CAP for its service. 


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1 (38) While air medals were issued for those 

2 participating in the Coastal Patrol, little other rec3 ognition was forthcoming for those efforts or for the 

4 other services the CAP volunteers provided during 

5 the war. 

6 (39) Despite efforts to end the organization at 

7 the end of the war, the CAP had proved its capabili8 ties and strengthened its ties with the Air Force and 

9 Congress. 

10 (40) In 1946, Congress chartered the CAP as 

11 a nonprofit, public service organization and in 1948 

12 as the Auxiliary of the United States Air Force. 

13 (41) Today the CAP conducts many of the 

14 same missions it performed during World War II, 

15 including a vital role in homeland security. 

16 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

17 (a) AWARD.— 

18 (1) AUTHORIZED.—The President pro tempore 

19 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Rep20 resentatives shall make appropriate arrangements 

21 for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single 

22 gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the 

23 World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol collec24 tively, in recognition of the military service and exVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:44 Jul 28, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5859.IH H5859

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1 emplary record of the Civil Air Patrol during World 

2 War II. 

3 (2) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes 

4 of the award referred to in paragraph (1), the Sec5 retary of the Treasury shall strike the gold medal 

6 with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to 

7 be determined by the Secretary. 

8 (3) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of 

10 the gold medal referred to in paragraph (1) in 

11 honor of the World War II members of the Civil 

12 Air Patrol, the gold medal shall be given to the 

13 Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be dis14 played as appropriate and made available for 

15 research. 

16 (B) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense 

17 of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution 

18 should make the gold medal received under this 

19 paragraph available for display elsewhere, par20 ticularly at other locations associated with the 

21 Civil Air Patrol. 

22 (b) DUPLICATE MEDALS.—Under such regulations 

23 as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike 

24 and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck 

25 under this Act, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of 


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1 the medals, including labor, materials, dyes, use of ma2 chinery, and overhead expenses. 

3 (c) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck pursuant to 

4 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

5 of title 31, United States Code. 

6 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS 

7 OF SALE. 

8 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

10 Public Enterprise Fund, an amount not to exceed $30,000 

11 to pay for the cost of the medal authorized under section 

12 2. 

13 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

14 sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 2(b) shall 

15 be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

16 Fund. 

Æ 


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