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OFFICE 0F CIVILIAN
DEFENSE CIVIL AIR
PATROL Washington, D. C.
January 28, 1942:
To: Wing Commanders
Subject: Civil Air Patrol News Letter
(Note~ This is the first of the News Letters which will be sent you each week.
lts purpose it to keep you informed as to progress of CAP and to supply
information which you may wish to pass on in letter form to your staff and
groups. It is hoped the News Letter can become a channel through which
developments, ideas and operations from over the entire field can be made
available to each area for possible adaption to local conditions. Items of
interest concerning all phases of operations will be welcomed by this
department of CAP.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS. AS of January 28 applications received at the Washington
Office totaled 16,616 and are coming in at the rate of approximately 850 a day. These are being cleared as rapidly as possible and are being mailed to the
Wing Commands for local files.
Estimates being received from Wings where membership drives are being conducted place
the number of applicants at far higher figures than the number of applications received in
Washington. The discrepancy is perhaps due to delay on the part of the individual in making
out the application after he has signifield his intention to Join. However, a sharp increase in
the number of applications is indicated for the immediate future.
To date applications by states are shown in the following table.
Alabama 244 Arizona
128 Arkansas 162
California 823 Colorado
155 Connecticut 318
Delaware 127 Florida
392 Georgia 112 Idaho
153 Illinois 953 Indiana
575 Iowa 399 Kansas
263 Kentucky 226
Louisiana 320 D.C. 1
Maine
226
Ohio
1148 Maryland
258
Oklahoma 243 Massachusetts
382
Oregon 350 Michigan
1101
Pennsylvania 1082 Minnesota
137
Rhode Island 74 Mississippi
48
South Carolina 236 Missouri
489
South Dakota 126 Montana
273
Tennessee 297 Nebraska
196
Texas
563 Nevada
70
Utah
137 New Hampshire
201
Vermont
45 New Jersey
458
Virginia
122 New Mexico
149
Washington 343 New York
1366
West Virginia 203 North Carolina
346
Wisconsin 337 North Dakota
72
Wyoming
71
Canal Zone 1
Wing Commanders
January 27, 1942.
Unfortunately we have as yet no statistics to show what percent of the 91,443
certificated pilots listed by CAA on October 1, 1941 have entered the armed services;
what percent are in regular transport service, and what percent are represented in
state and local groups which have signified intention to Join CAP but have not sent in
applications to date. However, the percentage of applications received continues to
show approximately 85 percent with pilot certificates.
APPLICATIONS WITH ERRORS. Errors and omissions in applications are slowing
down their return to Wing Commands. Most frequent errors fall into four groups: (1)
Missing, incomplete and smudged fingerprint cards. (2) Missing photographs. (3)
Illegible and unsigned applications. (4) Unsigned Oath of Allegiance. Wing
Commanders are asked to stress the importance of accurate and full applications.
INFORMATION STATIONS, To expedite the flow of applications to Washington a
number of Wings have established offices where application blanks are available;
fingerprint facilities are set up; photograph information is given and in some instances
facilities supplied and mailing is handled direct. Such offices have been established in
New York. Atlanta, Dayton, San Francisco, Los Angeles. Cleveland and other points.
These arrangements have greatly facilitated the movement of applications and have
reduced the number which must be returned became of error,
WEATHER INFORMATION. Plans are underway to try and obtain for CAP personnel
the same weather information furnished by the government to scheduled air transport
and the military forces.
:
INSURANCE. Several conferences have been held by the CAP staff with aviation
underwriters to work out policies which will adequately protect personnel while on
assigned CAP missions. The final draft of a policy will be in our hands within one week.
TRAINING PROGRAM. Training Directives Nos. 1 to 4 have been completed.
The texts, furnished by the War Department and the Office of Civilian Defense have
been mailed to the 48 WingS. Two other directives: No. 5 Interior Guard Duty, and No.
6, Protection Against Gas, have also been approved and are being printed. These
directives will not be available before the first week in February.
Col Harry Blee, director of the training program, this week began the first of a series of
regional contact tours which will take him to each of the 48 Wings before completion.
Objective of the tour is to acquaint Wing Command staffs with the raining procedure.
Col. Blee’s first tour was to Region 4, and he was accompanied by Capt. George W.
Noland who has recently been appointed Regional Commander. The remainder of Col.
Blee’s schedule is to be announced.
Wing Commanders
Page 3
January 27, 1942
CAP UNIFORMS. Specifications have been approved by the Army Quartermaster for
uniforms and a general order will be issued in the immediate future.
The delay has been occasioned by a determination on the part of the CAP to work out
uniform specifications for officers, pilots, ground personnel and administrative office
force which would keep costs to members at the lowest practical level.
STATE AVIATION ORGANIZATIONS. Within the past several weeks, members of the
Washington office have visited state officials in Texas, Virginia, Michigan and Illinois
where state units had been formed end were in operation. Some of these
organizations are well along on training and service programs. In all instances CAP
received full hearing on its position for a centralized and nationalized organization
and command and satisfactory arrangements have been made.
.QTH~R GROUI~. We have received inquiry from racial and religious groups
who want to enroll as units keeping the identity of the group. Policy already
established makes such "group enlistments" unacceptable while all members
of such groups are welcomed as individual applicants on a merit basis.
STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS. Capt. Gill Robb Wilson has finished his work as CAP executive
officer and is now serving in the dual capacity of consultant to the National Commander and
CAP Commander of Regions No. 1 and 2. For the past two weeks he has been on tour.
Capt. George W. Noland has been appointed Commander of Region No. 4.
Until his appointment he was on duty at the War Department.
Harry K. Coffey has been appointed Commander of Region No. 9.
Lt. Col. Floyd E. Evans has been appointed Commander for Region No. 6 and is acting as Commander for Region No. 5.
Earle L. Johnson has been appointed executive officer at National headquarters.
WOMEN FLYERS. A report that women flyers will be assigned only minor
duties in CAP is in error. The stated policy of CAP has been no discrimination
because of sex, race, creed or color, and the only basis upon which members
in CAP are to be accepted and assigned to missions will continue to be
individual ability, experience and past record. Every opportunity will be taken
to give every member as much duty as his or her qualifications warrant.
Wing Commander
Page 4
January 27, 1942
STUDENTS TO BE ENCOURAGED. Student flyers end those receiving AE instruction
should be encouraged to apply for membership in CAP. We have found among these
groups many who have reached a stage of training which could well be used in the
organization. These students could perform useful functions for CAP groups and flights
while continuing their training for certificates. A news story urging college student flyers
to apply for membership in CAP has been sent to college publications.
INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL. National, regional and group publications are
asking for pictures and news of CAP operations throughout the country. The
use of such media can prove invaluable in stimulating interest in CAP
membership and in public understanding and support of CAP objectives.
Mush effective news has been handled in many states by Squadron,
Group and Wing officers in cooperation with local and state newspapers, radio and magazine,
Some of this could be used on a national scale and the Washington staff is interested in obtaining
such material.
This is to ask that accurate accounts of CAP operations in your territory together with such
pictures as are available be obtained and forwarded to the Washington office of CAP at
your earliest covenience.
Any interesting facts concerning your own operations, personnel, plans, training, etc. will be welcomed.
OPPORTUNITY FOR SERVICE. (Attention, Coastal Areas) The War Department has
requested that all location markers within 150 miles of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts be
eliminated, and the Civil Aeronautics Administration made tentative arrangements to
accomplish the work. CAP has been to enlist the help of Wing Commanders within the
area as it is believed local and state units can aid materially in location of the markers.
Commands are asked to contact CAA Regional Managers in this connection. After markers
are obliterated, the Regional Managers will doubtless desire to make arrangement with
CAP for flight checks of the result of their work. Addresses of CAA Regional Managers are:
1. LaGuardia Field, Long Island, N.Y.
2. Box 4327, Atlanta, Georgia.
3. 1508 Fourth Street, Santa Monica California
4) Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington
DEFENSE CIVIL AIR
PATROL Washington, D. C.
January 28, 1942:
To: Wing Commanders
Subject: Civil Air Patrol News Letter
(Note~ This is the first of the News Letters which will be sent you each week.
lts purpose it to keep you informed as to progress of CAP and to supply
information which you may wish to pass on in letter form to your staff and
groups. It is hoped the News Letter can become a channel through which
developments, ideas and operations from over the entire field can be made
available to each area for possible adaption to local conditions. Items of
interest concerning all phases of operations will be welcomed by this
department of CAP.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS. AS of January 28 applications received at the Washington
Office totaled 16,616 and are coming in at the rate of approximately 850 a day. These are being cleared as rapidly as possible and are being mailed to the
Wing Commands for local files.
Estimates being received from Wings where membership drives are being conducted place
the number of applicants at far higher figures than the number of applications received in
Washington. The discrepancy is perhaps due to delay on the part of the individual in making
out the application after he has signifield his intention to Join. However, a sharp increase in
the number of applications is indicated for the immediate future.
To date applications by states are shown in the following table.
Alabama 244 Arizona
128 Arkansas 162
California 823 Colorado
155 Connecticut 318
Delaware 127 Florida
392 Georgia 112 Idaho
153 Illinois 953 Indiana
575 Iowa 399 Kansas
263 Kentucky 226
Louisiana 320 D.C. 1
Maine
226
Ohio
1148 Maryland
258
Oklahoma 243 Massachusetts
382
Oregon 350 Michigan
1101
Pennsylvania 1082 Minnesota
137
Rhode Island 74 Mississippi
48
South Carolina 236 Missouri
489
South Dakota 126 Montana
273
Tennessee 297 Nebraska
196
Texas
563 Nevada
70
Utah
137 New Hampshire
201
Vermont
45 New Jersey
458
Virginia
122 New Mexico
149
Washington 343 New York
1366
West Virginia 203 North Carolina
346
Wisconsin 337 North Dakota
72
Wyoming
71
Canal Zone 1
Wing Commanders
January 27, 1942.
Unfortunately we have as yet no statistics to show what percent of the 91,443
certificated pilots listed by CAA on October 1, 1941 have entered the armed services;
what percent are in regular transport service, and what percent are represented in
state and local groups which have signified intention to Join CAP but have not sent in
applications to date. However, the percentage of applications received continues to
show approximately 85 percent with pilot certificates.
APPLICATIONS WITH ERRORS. Errors and omissions in applications are slowing
down their return to Wing Commands. Most frequent errors fall into four groups: (1)
Missing, incomplete and smudged fingerprint cards. (2) Missing photographs. (3)
Illegible and unsigned applications. (4) Unsigned Oath of Allegiance. Wing
Commanders are asked to stress the importance of accurate and full applications.
INFORMATION STATIONS, To expedite the flow of applications to Washington a
number of Wings have established offices where application blanks are available;
fingerprint facilities are set up; photograph information is given and in some instances
facilities supplied and mailing is handled direct. Such offices have been established in
New York. Atlanta, Dayton, San Francisco, Los Angeles. Cleveland and other points.
These arrangements have greatly facilitated the movement of applications and have
reduced the number which must be returned became of error,
WEATHER INFORMATION. Plans are underway to try and obtain for CAP personnel
the same weather information furnished by the government to scheduled air transport
and the military forces.
:
INSURANCE. Several conferences have been held by the CAP staff with aviation
underwriters to work out policies which will adequately protect personnel while on
assigned CAP missions. The final draft of a policy will be in our hands within one week.
TRAINING PROGRAM. Training Directives Nos. 1 to 4 have been completed.
The texts, furnished by the War Department and the Office of Civilian Defense have
been mailed to the 48 WingS. Two other directives: No. 5 Interior Guard Duty, and No.
6, Protection Against Gas, have also been approved and are being printed. These
directives will not be available before the first week in February.
Col Harry Blee, director of the training program, this week began the first of a series of
regional contact tours which will take him to each of the 48 Wings before completion.
Objective of the tour is to acquaint Wing Command staffs with the raining procedure.
Col. Blee’s first tour was to Region 4, and he was accompanied by Capt. George W.
Noland who has recently been appointed Regional Commander. The remainder of Col.
Blee’s schedule is to be announced.
Wing Commanders
Page 3
January 27, 1942
CAP UNIFORMS. Specifications have been approved by the Army Quartermaster for
uniforms and a general order will be issued in the immediate future.
The delay has been occasioned by a determination on the part of the CAP to work out
uniform specifications for officers, pilots, ground personnel and administrative office
force which would keep costs to members at the lowest practical level.
STATE AVIATION ORGANIZATIONS. Within the past several weeks, members of the
Washington office have visited state officials in Texas, Virginia, Michigan and Illinois
where state units had been formed end were in operation. Some of these
organizations are well along on training and service programs. In all instances CAP
received full hearing on its position for a centralized and nationalized organization
and command and satisfactory arrangements have been made.
.QTH~R GROUI~. We have received inquiry from racial and religious groups
who want to enroll as units keeping the identity of the group. Policy already
established makes such "group enlistments" unacceptable while all members
of such groups are welcomed as individual applicants on a merit basis.
STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS. Capt. Gill Robb Wilson has finished his work as CAP executive
officer and is now serving in the dual capacity of consultant to the National Commander and
CAP Commander of Regions No. 1 and 2. For the past two weeks he has been on tour.
Capt. George W. Noland has been appointed Commander of Region No. 4.
Until his appointment he was on duty at the War Department.
Harry K. Coffey has been appointed Commander of Region No. 9.
Lt. Col. Floyd E. Evans has been appointed Commander for Region No. 6 and is acting as Commander for Region No. 5.
Earle L. Johnson has been appointed executive officer at National headquarters.
WOMEN FLYERS. A report that women flyers will be assigned only minor
duties in CAP is in error. The stated policy of CAP has been no discrimination
because of sex, race, creed or color, and the only basis upon which members
in CAP are to be accepted and assigned to missions will continue to be
individual ability, experience and past record. Every opportunity will be taken
to give every member as much duty as his or her qualifications warrant.
Wing Commander
Page 4
January 27, 1942
STUDENTS TO BE ENCOURAGED. Student flyers end those receiving AE instruction
should be encouraged to apply for membership in CAP. We have found among these
groups many who have reached a stage of training which could well be used in the
organization. These students could perform useful functions for CAP groups and flights
while continuing their training for certificates. A news story urging college student flyers
to apply for membership in CAP has been sent to college publications.
INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL. National, regional and group publications are
asking for pictures and news of CAP operations throughout the country. The
use of such media can prove invaluable in stimulating interest in CAP
membership and in public understanding and support of CAP objectives.
Mush effective news has been handled in many states by Squadron,
Group and Wing officers in cooperation with local and state newspapers, radio and magazine,
Some of this could be used on a national scale and the Washington staff is interested in obtaining
such material.
This is to ask that accurate accounts of CAP operations in your territory together with such
pictures as are available be obtained and forwarded to the Washington office of CAP at
your earliest covenience.
Any interesting facts concerning your own operations, personnel, plans, training, etc. will be welcomed.
OPPORTUNITY FOR SERVICE. (Attention, Coastal Areas) The War Department has
requested that all location markers within 150 miles of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts be
eliminated, and the Civil Aeronautics Administration made tentative arrangements to
accomplish the work. CAP has been to enlist the help of Wing Commanders within the
area as it is believed local and state units can aid materially in location of the markers.
Commands are asked to contact CAA Regional Managers in this connection. After markers
are obliterated, the Regional Managers will doubtless desire to make arrangement with
CAP for flight checks of the result of their work. Addresses of CAA Regional Managers are:
1. LaGuardia Field, Long Island, N.Y.
2. Box 4327, Atlanta, Georgia.
3. 1508 Fourth Street, Santa Monica California
4) Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington