The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-05-22
BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE CAPE OF
NORTH CAROLINA
BY FRANK FAULK


the Washington-G reenville CA
P. Squadron. He holds the rank
of End Lieut.. in the organization.
We are glad to print this timely
history of the organization which
was SO active during World War
II
During the postwar period, it
became increasingly evident that
the most useful function of the
Civil Air Patrol would be that
of organizing and teaching the
youth of America the fundimen-
tails of the Air Age. The senior
organization founded to Patrol
Americas length and breadth on
the lookout for enemies during
wartime, turned its experienced
hands to preparing a program
for the development of flying en-
thusiam in teen ayers
Under Public Law 557, the
Civil Air Patrol became an Off
cial auxiliary of the us. Air
Force and was charged with be-
ing in readiness at all times to
answer a call from the Air Force
ito go on active duty during
search and rescue missions.
But this daily vigilance of the
thousands of members of the SEN
ior organization is only a part
of the CAP program. The other
side of the picture discloses the
thousands of youths in the COM
munities where CAP is active.
These youngsters attend the class
es taught by CAP members,
study scheduled courses in nav
igation and other unnecessary
subjects in their high schools, be-
come acquainted with the air.
at CAP installations, take orien-
tation flights in Las on loan
from the Air Force and gener-
ally gain the prerequisites to
flight training which the Civil
Air Patrol does NOT teach.
The Civil Air Patrol, under its
charter issued by Congress, has
no funds and its personnel is vol
untary and unpaid. However, the
Air Force assigns to the Civil
Air Patrol a National Comman-
der, Major General Lucas v.
Beau, a small staff for aiding
the CAP organization with head
quarters at Boiling AT Base,
Washington, D. c., and one Air
Force Liaison officer assigned by
the National Commander to each
of the So wings. The Air Force
also supplies the Civil Air Patrol
with surplus material, including
sufficient radio equipment to
form nationwide net.
Cadets are given ground train
ing by qualified senior members
of the CAP and Air Force Re
serve Officers. The aviation sub
jects included in this ground
training are map reading, theory
of flight, meteorology, naviga-
ton, aircraft structures, engines
instruments, crash procedure and
Civil Air Regulations.
Civil Air Patrol was founded
on December l, 1941, under the
Office of Civilian Defense to mo-
billie the civilian airmen of the
country with their airplanes and
equipment for wartime duties
The CAP cadet program was
founded October l, 1912. From
!. the beginning of CAP, most oil
the active wartime missions were
flown by the Army Air Forces
Therefore, on April 20, 1913, CAT
was transferred to the War De
partment by Executive order Of
the President. In 1916, the 79tH
Congress passed Public Law 476
which was an act to incorporate
the Civil Air Patrol, and give
authority for the CAP to adopt
a constitution and bylaws. The
8Oth Congress passed Public Law
577 in 1948 which established the
Civil Air Patrol as official civil.
ian auxiliary of the United
States Air Force.
Soon after CAP began to form,
local units in the 48 states ano
to embark upon its program oil
training at the beginning of the
war, it was called upon to send
alrplanes and pilots on military
missions. Aircraft of the CAT
Coastal Patrol were flown more
than 24,000,000 miles over water
They spotted 173 subs; dropped
bombs and depth charges against
81; and are officially credited
with sinking or damaging al
least 2, in addition to these des-
troyed by airplanes or ships sum.
money by CAP. They located anC
reported II floating mines, some
In the paths of troop conveys
This coastal patrol continues un-
til August 81, 1913, when the
Navy and the Air Force took
lover.
For the Second Air Force, CAP