C I V I L A I R P AT R O L
N AT I O N A L
AWARDS
ACHIEVEMENTS
Table
of
Contents
Amelia Earhart
Phase III Completion Award – Cadet Training Program ....12
Paul E. Garber
Level IV Completion Award – Senior Training Program ....15
Produced by Civil Air Patrol, August 2005 National Awards & Achievements i
Civil Air Patrol
T C
his document was created for all Civil Air Patrol mem- ivil Air Patrol (CAP) is a private, nonprofit corporation
bers as a resource of information about those individuals chartered under a special Act of Congress on 1
for whom achievements and awards are named. The December 1941, which sets forth the purposes, rights,
biographies were gathered from many sources and respectfully and duties of the Civil Air Patrol. The
compiled so that future CAP members could understand the United States Congress later incor-
history and meaning behind these prestigious awards and porated Civil Air Patrol on 1 July
achievements. 1946. Civil Air Patrol functions in
accordance with its Constitution
We wish to thank all those whose names are included in this
& Bylaws, regulations and other
document and especially to the one person who had the vision
directives approved by the Board
to see the need for this information and worked tirelessly to
of Governors.
accomplish this task – Amanda B. Anderson, Lt Col, CAP. Lt
Col Anderson is truly an inspiration to all who wish to under- The objectives and purposes of Civil Air Patrol shall be:
stand the history of the individuals for whom the awards and ª To provide an organization to encourage and aid American
achievements are named. citizens in the contribution of their efforts, services, and
resources in the development of aviation and in the mainte-
We also wish to thank the Brewer Family, who encouraged this
nance of aerospace supremacy.
process and helped to make it a reality. Further thanks go to
ª To provide an organization to encourage and develop, by
the team at CAP National Headquarters, for editing and pro-
example, the voluntary contribution of private citizens to the
viding layout, graphics, and dissemination of this document.
public welfare.
We hope you enjoy reading about and understanding the his- ª To provide aviation and aerospace education and training,
torical connections between the pioneers of the past and the especially to its senior and cadet members.
aerospace leaders of the present and future who will receive ª To encourage and foster civil aviation in local communities.
these awards and achievements in CAP. ª To provide an organization of private citizens with adequate
facilities to assist in meeting local and national emergencies.
ª To assist the Department of the Air Force in fulfilling its non-
combat programs and missions.
C T
AP defines aerospace education (AE) as “that branch of o accomplish the CAP mission,
general education concerned with communicating the CAP Senior Member
knowledge, skills, and attitudes about aerospace activi- Professional Development
ties and the total impact of air and space Program prepares members to serve
vehicles upon society.” The aerospace their units, their communities, and
education programs are designed to their nation. (See CAPR 50-17)
promote an understanding and
appreciation for the importance of
aviation and space exploration to our
society and national security. (See
CAPR 280-2)
T
he mission of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program is to
provide the youth of our nation a quality program that
enhances their leadership skills through an interest in
aviation, and simultaneously provide services
to the United States Air Force and the
local community. (See CAPR
52-16)
ALDEN
ARMSTRONG
August 5, 1930 –
Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. coordination and management of overall NASA research and
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical technology work related to aeronautics.
Engineering from Purdue University in 1955.
He was Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of
After serving as a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952 and com- Cincinnati from 1971-1979. During the years 1982-1992,
pleting his studies at Purdue, Armstrong joined the National Armstrong was chairman of Computing Technologies for
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1955. His first Aviation, Inc., Charlottesville, Va.
assignment was with the NACA Lewis Research Center in
Cleveland, Ohio. For the next 17 years, he was an engineer, He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical
“One
test pilot, astronaut and administrator for NACA and its suc- Engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Science in
cessor agency, the National Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern
mankind.” pilot
Shuttle Challenger Accident (1986), and as Chairman of the
astronaut in 1962. As command Presidential Advisory Committee for the Peace Corps (1971-
for the Gemini 8 mission, 1973).
launched on March 16, 1966,
Armstrong performed the first successful docking of two vehi- Armstrong has been decorated by 17 countries. He is the
cles in space. recipient of many special honors, including the Presidential
Medal of Freedom; the Congressional Space Medal of Honor;
As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar the Explorers Club Medal; the Robert H. Goddard Memorial
landing mission, Armstrong gained the distinction of being the Trophy; the NASA Distinguished Service Medal; the Harmon
first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its International Aviation Trophy; the Royal Geographic Society’s
surface. Gold Medal; the Federation Aeronautique Internationale’s Gold
Space Medal; the American Astronautical Society Flight
Armstrong subsequently held the position of Deputy Associate Achievement Award; the Robert J. Collier Trophy; the AIAA
Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA Headquarters in Astronautics Award; the Octave Chanute Award; and the John
Washington, D.C. In this position, he was responsible for the J. Montgomery Award.
As a CAP Achievement:
Neil Armstrong Ribbon
This is Achievement 8 in Phase II,
The Leadership Phase, of the Cadet
Program. This Achievement involves
the topic of Space Exploration. Upon completion of Phase II,
the cadet is eligible for the General Billy Mitchell Award.
(See CAPR 52-16)
Heraldic Description:
(Provided by Col. Leonard Blascovich, CAP)
“HAP” ARNOLD
June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950
“Hap” Arnold was born on June 25, 1886 in tant chief, then as Chief of the Army Air Corps in
Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. He graduated from 1938. With the organization of the War
high school, not sure whether he should enter a seminary to Department General Staff in March 1942, he became the
become a Baptist minister or study medicine and eventually Commanding General of the Army Air Forces. Under his lead-
take over his father’s practice. When an older brother decided ership, the air arm grew from 22,000 officers and men with
not to follow through on an appointment to the U.S. Military 3,900 planes to nearly 2,500,000 men and 75,000 aircraft.
As commanding general, he led his worldwide Army Air Forces
first
Academy, Arnold took the examinations, was accepted, and
entered West Point in 1903. After graduation from the U.S. to final victory during World War II through the total utilization
Military Academy in 1907, he learned to fly at of strategic air power. Arnold was especially interested in the
(and only)
the Wright Brothers’ school in 1911. For his development of sophisticated aerospace technology to give the
pioneering flights, he received the United States an edge in achieving air superiority. He fostered
first military aviator badge, the the development of jet aircraft, rockets, rocket assisted takeoff
five-star
Aero Club of America’s Aviator and supersonic flight. In 1945, he suffered a heart attack due
certificate no. 29 and expert aviator to overwork. After retiring in 1946, he was honored by being
General
certificate no. 4. He was also awarded appointed the first (and only) five-star General of both the
the first MacKay Trophy in 1912 for United States Army and the United States Air Force.
successfully reconnoitering a triangular
of both
course from College Park to During his career he received three Distinguished Service
Washington Barracks, DC, then to Medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and decora-
Fort Meyer, Virginia and return to tions from Morocco, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Peru, France, Mexico
US Army
College Park. After experimenting with and Great Britain. He wrote a number of books for boys aimed
directing artillery fire from the air by at creating an interest in flying and after WWII he wrote his
and US
radio, he became supply officer at the autobiography, “Global Mission.” On Jan, 15, 1950, he died at
aviation school at San Diego and then “Valley of the Moon”, his ranch near Sonoma, California.
organized the 7th Aero Squadron at
Air Force
the Panama Canal. During World War
I, “Hap” Arnold was Chief of the
As a CAP Achievement:
Information Service and served as
General “Hap” Arnold Achievement Ribbon
Assistant Director of Military
Aeronautics. After the war, he promoted such innovations as This is Achievement 2 in Phase I, the
the aerial forest patrol and in-flight refueling. Graduated by the “Learning Phase,” of the Cadet
Army Industrial College in 1925, he became Chief of the Program. This Achievement involves
Information Division and also completed the command and the topic of US Airpower Development. Upon completion
general staff school. of Phase I, the cadet is eligible for the Wright Brothers
Award. (See CAPR 52-16)
In 1934, he led a flight of ten B-10 bombers on a historic
flight from Washington DC to Alaska, where he won a second
MacKay Trophy. After becoming a commanding general in the
General Headquarters Air Force in 1935, he served as assis-
National Awards & Achievements 3
FRANK
GROVER
BREWER
November 4, 1892 – May 10, 1957
founder
twelve states, employing 400 people and serving every major
city east of the Mississippi River. Mr.
of the
Brewer sold his interest in this firm in
1950, but he continued his active role
in community life.
Brewer
During his long career, he served as
President of the Alabama Trucking
Trophy
Association and the Birmingham Motor
Truck Club. He was also a member of
Civitan International, Birmingham Aero
Club and the National Aeronautic
Association. He was a director of the
Spastic Aid Society of Alabama, of Goodwill Industries and of
the Birmingham Sunday School Council. He was a member of
East Lake Methodist Church where he was a steward and a
member of the Liles Brotherhood Class.
GROVER
BREWER, JR
October 4, 1917 –
Like his father, Frank G. Brewer, Jr. has not only been a suc- CAP as Deputy for Cadets, Inspector, Deputy Commander,
cessful businessman but also a church and civic leader and an Interim Commander, and is currently assigned to Alabama
enthusiastic supporter of youth in aerospace education. Wing Headquarters. He was promoted to Colonel and awarded
the Civil Air Patrol Distinguished Service Medal on November
Mr. Brewer was born in 1917, raised and educated in 15, 2003.
Birmingham, Alabama, which he still calls home. Following his
graduation from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn History and Purpose of Awards
University) in 1940 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, Mr. There is often confusion between the Frank G. Brewer – Civil
Brewer was drafted March 10, 1942 and entered the U.S. Air Patrol Memorial Aerospace Awards and the Brewer Trophy
Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson, Georgia. From 1943 to Awards. Both awards bear the name of Frank G. Brewer, but
Civil
1945 he served with the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in one (the trophy) was originated and endowed by Mr. Brewer,
Europe as a lead radio operator on Martin B26 Marauder Sr. and the other was originated by his family as a memorial to
bombers from England and France. During his his lifelong dedication to youth and aviation.
Air Patrol
69 combat missions, he was awarded two
Distinguished Flying Crosses and The Brewer Trophies
eleven Air Medals. In 1943, the National Aeronautics Association established the
Distinguished heBirmingham
Office of Air Youth, and proposed to establish an annual trophy
Following World War II, to be awarded in recognition of unselfish service for the
Service Alabama
returned to advancement of air youth. Mr. Frank G. Brewer, Sr. accepted
and became sponsorship service and endowment of this trophy to honor his
Vice President and part owner of sons who were serving in World War II, Frank Jr. and Robert.
The Frank G. Brewer – Civil Air Patrol Memorial In recent years, the Brewer Trophy has been presented at the
Aerospace Awards were established on December 31, National Conference on Aviation and Space Education
1959, to memorialize the devotion to youth and aerospace (NCASE). NCASE is the premier aerospace education confer-
education of Mr. Frank G. Brewer, Sr. ence of its kind in the nation. It is also one of Civil Air Patrol’s
major contributions to America’s aerospace education class-
Following Mr. Brewer, Sr.’s death in 1957, his oldest son, then rooms. Since 1968, NCASE has brought together educators
Captain Frank G. Brewer, Jr., CAP, approached Civil Air Patrol from around the nation to learn from a variety of gifted speak-
to establish an aerospace award in his father’s memory. With ers and motivational teachers. NCASE is being revamped in
the advice and encouragement of the Civil Air Patrol National 2005 and will resume every two years beginning in 2006.
Commander – Brigadier General Stephen D. McElroy, USAF –
a new CAP regulation to establish the award was drafted and 2. The Frank G. Brewer – Civil Air Patrol Memorial
finalized in November 1959. Aerospace Award
This award is presented annually in four categories at both the
From 1960 through 1977, three awards were presented each regional and national level. Established 31 Dec 1959, the
year; one to a CAP cadet, one to a CAP senior member and award serves as a memorial to Mr. Frank G. Brewer, Sr. It rec-
one to an individual or organization outside of Civil Air Patrol. ognizes individuals and organizations that have made outstand-
Beginning in 1978, the number of awards was expanded to ing contributions to the advancement of youth in aerospace
four with separate awards being given to an individual and to activities.
an organization outside CAP.
The four categories for this award are:
The Brewer Family and Aerospace Education Category I – Civil Air Patrol Cadet Member
The Brewer Family sponsors two different awards in the area of Category II – Civil Air Patrol Senior Member
aerospace education: Category III – Individual or Organization outside of Civil Air
Patrol
1. The Frank G. Brewer Trophy Category IV – Lifetime Achievement
Awarded annually (since 1943) to an individual, a group of
individuals, or an organization for significant contributions of This award is typically presented at the CAP National Board
enduring value to aerospace education in the United States. Meeting held in August.
This award is administered by the National Aeronautics
Association. For more information and applications for these awards, see
CAPP 15 or visit the AE website at www.cap.gov/ae.
The Brewer Trophy is on permanent display at the Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Note: This document was edited by Frank G. Brewer, Jr. and
Rob Brewer, May 9, 2005.
SCOTT
CROSSFIELD
October 21, 1921 –
Scott Crossfield was born October 2, 1921, in Berkeley, Calif. to fly the T-39, the military version of the Sabreliner jet. He left
He took his first flight at age six in an oil company airplane, a North American in 1967, moving first to Eastern Airlines, then
flight that hooked him on aviation for life. He began flying les- to Hawker-Siddley Aviation, and then served as a technical
sons at the age of twelve, in return for delivering newspapers at consultant to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
the Wilmington Airport. By the time he graduated from high Science and Technology.
school, he had resolved to emulate such famous test pilots as
Boeing’s Eddie Allen and the Army’s Jimmy Doolittle. He Scott retired in 1993, but still flies his 1961 Cessna 210A to
first
received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science EAA Airventure at Oshkosh, Sun ’n’ Fun, and other aviation
degrees in aeronautical engineering from the celebrations around the country to give speeches that concen-
to fly fighter
University of Washington. trate more on the future than on the past. He presents the A.
Scott Crossfield Aerospace Teacher of the Year Award at the
During World War II he was a fighter pilot and National Conference on Aviation and Space Education. His
twice National
gunnery instructor in the U.S. Navy. In biography, “Always Another Dawn,” was published in 1960.
1950, he joined NASA's predecessor, the Among his awards are the Collier Trophy (presented by
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics President Kennedy) from the National Aeronautics Association,
of sound, ingD-558-I,
Station at Edwards, Calif. Crossfield was one of the charter inductees to the Aerospace
There he was the test pilot for Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was inducted into the National
numerous research aircraft, includ- Aviation Hall of Fame, and was presented with the Smithsonian
Anyone may submit a nomination. For more information, including deadline for application submission, see CAPP 15.
FRANCIS
CURRY
April 22, 1886 – March 3, 1973
John F. Curry was born on April 22, 1886, in New York City, from being put aside entirely during the war. As Gen. Curry
New York. He was graduated from the United States Military stated, “Without such a plan [as CAP], there might be no
Academy, West Point, New York and was commissioned a sec- private aviation for the duration of the war; with such a plan,
ond lieutenant of Infantry on February 14, 1908. there is a chance that private flying might continue and devel-
op.” Under Curry’s guidance, wings were formed in every
During World War I, John Curry participated in the occupation state. He helped mobilize 100,000 private pilots for non-
of the Second Army Defensive Sector. He returned to the combatant service; thus freeing military pilots for wartime duty.
United States in August 1919, and was on duty in the Office, Although he only served a few months as National Commander,
Division of Air Service, Washington, DC, to January 1920, Maj. Gen. Curry’s organizational skills were influential in deter-
when he was ordered to Hawaii. He came to McCook Field, mining the future growth of this new resource. Thanks to the
first
Ohio, and in June 1924, graduated from the Air Service vision of John F. Curry and others like him, CAP remained
Engineer School there. He later went to throughout the war as an effective demonstration of volunteer
Wright Field, Ohio, before being ordered to spirit.
national
Langley Field, Virginia, where he graduated
from the Tactical School in 1928. After World War II, Maj. Gen. John Curry headed the
Colorado Wing of Civil Air Patrol and was also Colorado State
commander
He graduated from the Command
and General Staff School, Fort Director of Aeronautics where he conducted light plane sur-
Leavenworth, Kansas, in June veys through the rugged Colorado Rockies. As a result of
of CAP
1930 and returned to Langley Curry’s direction, maps of safe-flying routes were developed by
Field for duty as Assistant Colorado CAP personnel.
Commandant of the Air Corps Tactical
School.
In 1941, Maj. Gen. John Francis Curry was selected as the first
National Commander of the newly formed Civil Air Patrol. Part
of the reason for the founding of CAP was to keep aviation
HAROLD
DOOLITTLE
December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993
Born in Alameda, California on December 14, 1896, Doolittle In 1946 he reverted to inactive reserve status and returned to
was a junior at the University of California when the United Shell Oil as a vice president and later a director. He also was
States entered World War I. He enlisted as a flying cadet in the the first President of the Air Force Association, in 1947, assist-
Army Signal Corps, which gave him a commission. He spent ing its organization. In March 1951 he was appointed a special
the war as a flying instructor in the United States. assistant to the Air Force Chief of Staff, serving as a civilian in
scientific matters, which led to Air Force ballistic missile and
Remaining in the Army after the war, he earned a B.A. degree space programs.
in 1922 and then studied aeronautical engineering at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he received He retired from Air Force duty February 1959, but continued
first
both a Masters and Doctors of Science degree in Aeronautics. to serve his country as Chairman of the Board of Space
Technology Laboratories. In recognition of his lifetime service
On September 24, 1929, flying in the hooded to military and civilian aviation, Congress advanced him to full
to make
cockpit of a Consolidated NY-2 biplane, General on the retired list in 1985.
Lieutenant Doolittle was able to
take off in a dense fog, fly a spe- General Doolittle died in California on September 27, 1993
an all-blind
cific course, and land without ref- and was buried in Section 7-A of Arlington National Cemetery,
erence to the earth. He took a with his high school sweetheart and wife, Josephine Daniels
instrument
leave of absence from the Doolittle (May 24, 1895 – December 24, 1988).
Army in the period before
World War II, but returned to
landing, and
the first carrier-based bomber of Instrument flight and airpower leadership. The cadet
attack on mainland Japan in 1942 who reaches the grade of Cadet Senior Master
Ira graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University at General Ira C. Eaker Award:
Durant, and enlisted as an army private when the United States General Eaker Ribbon
entered World War I. Transferred to the Signal Corps’ aviation
made
This award marks completion of Phase IV of the Cadet
section, he trained as a pilot at Kelly Field in San Antonio. The
Program, “The Executive Phase.” This phase involves five
war ended before he faced combat, but as a
achievements: leadership officer, aerospace education offi-
commissioned officer his career in military avi-
headlines During
cer, operations officer, logistics officer, and cadet com-
ation was under way.
mander.
After graduating from Hyde Park High School in since her role was only as a passenger on that
1915, Amelia Earhart worked as a nurse’s aid in a flight, not as pilot.
military hospital in Canada during World War I,
attended college, and later became a social worker. Three years later Earhart established the
Earhart took her first flying lesson on January 3, record in her own right. On May 20-21,
1921, and in six months managed to save enough money to 1932 she flew a Lockhead Vega from Newfoundland to
first
buy her first plane. The second-hand Kinner Airster was a two- Londonderry, Ireland becoming the first woman to fly solo
seater biplane painted bright yellow. Earhart named the plane across the Atlantic. For this achievement the United States
“Canary,” and used it to set her first women’s Congress awarded Earhart the Distinguished Flying Cross.
woman
record by rising to an altitude of 14,000 feet.
As one of the nation’s premier female aviation pioneers, she
Amelia Earhart became an inter- spent most of her lifetime establishing the permanent role of
Atlantic
a passenger in a Fokker C-2 navigator Fred Noonan in a twin engine Lockhead Electra. The
craft left New Guinea July 3, and was never seen again.
Louis Gordon. She refused to Earhart’s disappearance is still a mystery, but her enduring
Ocean, 1932
attach any great significance legacy remains.
FEIK
March 9, 1924 –
After overhauling her first automobile engine when she was 13,
Mary turned to aircraft engines and military aircraft at the age
mechanic,
of 18 and taught aircraft maintenance to crew chiefs and people is my pay. CAP is the only organization that deals with
mechanics for the U.S. Army Air young people, teaching them leadership and love of aviation.”
engineer
Forces in 1942. During World
War II, Feik became an expert on Today, Mary Feik specializes in the restoration of antique air-
many military aircraft and is credit- planes. She has restored hundreds of World War I and World
and
ed with becoming the first woman War II aircraft. Her resume includes service as a civilian in the
engineer in research and develop- U.S. Army Air Forces, research and development at Wright Field,
ment in the Air Technical Service Command’s and restoration work at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space
flight
Engineering Division at Wright Field in Dayton, Museum.
Ohio. She flew more than 5,000 hours as a B-
29 flight engineer, engineering observer and
trainer
pilot in fighter, attack, bomber, cargo and
Mary Feik Achievement:
training aircraft. She designed high-per-
Mary Feik Ribbon
formance and jet fighter pilot transition
trainers as well as aircraft maintenance This is Achievement 3 in Phase I of
trainers. She has authored pilot training and operational manu- the Cadet Program. This award is
als for many of the military aircraft and reports in engineering given when the cadet attains the
and the physical sciences for distribution throughout the grade of Cadet Senior Airman (C/SrA). The ribbon’s border
nation. bands of orange and blue represent the colors of the
United States Army Air Corps, where Mary Feik pioneered
Mary Feik has received many honors and is a member of many aircraft mechanics, engineering, and flight training. The
aviation-related organizations. She is a frequent speaker for avi- center red band recalls the epaulets worn by Civil Air
ation, civic, educational, professional and historical groups on Patrol members during World War II, and Mary Feik’s life-
the subject of aviation history, women in aviation and aircraft long volunteer service as a member of the United States
restoration. She is regarded as an “Eagle” aviation pioneer at Air Force Auxiliary. No colors intervene between the
the National Conference on Aviation and Space Education and orange, blue, and red as aviation itself is unbounded. In
has been inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of final review, the Mary Feik Achievement Ribbon commemo-
Fame (1994). rates the leadership and pioneering contributions Mary Feik
has made to the world of aviation.
Mary Feik flies and maintains her own Piper Pacer aircraft. She
has been a long-time supporter of Civil Air Patrol and an advo-
cate for educating young people about aviation. She is a dedi-
cated member of Civil Air Patrol and says, “Working with young
14 CIVIL AIR PATROL
PAUL E.
GARBER
August 31, 1899 –
September 23, 1992
Paul E. Garber grew up in Washington, DC. As a 10-year-old, facility that housed the collection and Paul Garber had to relo-
he took a streetcar across the Potomac to watch Orville Wright cate the aircraft treasures to the Washington area. His search
fly the world’s first military airplane at Fort Myer, Virginia. revealed 21 acres of woodland in Suitland. The facility was
Alexander Graham Bell, a Smithsonian regent, taught young opened to the public in 1977. The Paul E. Garber
dedicated
Paul how to bridle his kite. At the age of 15, Garber built a Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility is named is his
full-scale biplane glider based on honor.
to the
a model he had seen at the
Smithsonian. His mother helped
him cover the wings with red chintz, after
aeronautical took
begin flight training at Squadron Officer School.
Park, Maryland,
when the war ended. He
father
moment. Here he developed the first liquid-fueled rocket-
Polytech and his Ph.D. from Clark University, where he would assisted take-off, demonstrated successfully in September of
later become head of the physics depart- 1942 by a Navy patrol plane. Also, the “Bazooka” he had
of
ment. He was not only a theoretician and developed during World War I was perfected and became a
experimenter of high order, but also a prac- vital new anti-tank weapon.
tical inventor. In 1914 he was granted the
modern
first of his many rocket patents. By 1916 he As the war drew to a close, his health began to fail and on
had reached the point where he need- August 14, 1945, he was laid to rest. Before he passed away,
ed financial help. He sent a paper
rocketry
he said, “I feel we are going to enter a new era, it is just a
which summarized his works, entitled matter of imagination how far we can go with rockets. I think it
“A Method of Reaching Extreme is fair to say you haven’t seen anything yet.”
Altitudes,” to the Smithsonian
Institution and soon received a grant
of $5,000. Now he concluded his work on solid fuels and
began the development of liquid propellants. During World Robert H. Goddard Achievement:
War I he developed the basic concept of the “Bazooka” rocket Dr. Robert H. Goddard Ribbon
launcher. The Goddard Ribbon is awarded to
the cadets who reach the grade of
In 1919 the Smithsonian published his classical paper and the Cadet Chief Master Sergeant
press seized upon a few paragraphs in which he discussed the (C/CMSgt) and are referred to as “Chief.” Cadets success-
idea of exploding a charge of flash powder on the moon which fully complete the specific requirements in Phase II listed
could be observed from the Earth. Overnight he became the for this achievement in order to receive the ribbon. NOTE:
“Moon Rocket Man.” Even dignified newspapers chided him A silver star may be attached to the Goddard Ribbon by
for imitating Jules Verne in writing such fantastic gibberish. A those cadets who have earned their Mitchell Award and
sensitive, dedicated person, he learned a painful lesson and have satisfactorily completed the requirements for the
from then on continued his work in reticent silence. Model Rocketry Badge (see CAPM 50-20, CAP Model
Rocketry Program).
In June of 1924 he married Esther Kisk, who was to also later
become his secretary, photographer, lab assistant and confi-
dante, a bulwark of strength in the days ahead. By 1925 he
16 CIVIL AIR PATROL
CHARLES
AUGUSTUS
LINDBERGH
February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974
non-stop drew
Wisconsin for two years but with-
to attend a flying school in
1927
(1953; Pulitzer Prize, 1954); and “The Wartime Journals of
Charles A. Lindbergh” (1970).
transatlantic solo flight between New
York City and Paris. In his single-engine
monoplane, “Spirit of St. Louis,”
Lindbergh left Roosevelt Field at 7:52 AM on May 20, 1927. Charles A. Lindbergh Achievement:
After a flight of 33 hours 32 minutes, he landed at Le Bourget Charles Lindbergh Ribbon
Airport near Paris. His achievement won the enthusiasm and The Lindbergh Ribbon is awarded to
acclaim of the world, and he was greeted as a hero in Europe the cadets who reach the grade of
and the U.S. Cadet Master Sergeant (C/MSgt).
Cadets must successfully complete the specific require-
He was later commissioned a colonel in the U.S. Air Service ments in Phase II listed for this achievement (see CAPR
Reserve and was a technical adviser to commercial airlines. He 52-16). This achievement brings attention to instrument
made “goodwill tours” of Mexico, Central America, and the flight and airpower leadership.
West Indies. Lindbergh flew over Yucatán and Mexico in 1929
and over the Far East in 1931, and in 1933 he made a survey
of more than 48,000 km (about 30,000 mi) for transatlantic
air routes and landing fields.
CLEVELAND
LOENING
September 12, 1888 –
February 29, 1976
Pioneer, engineer, public servant and author, Grover Loening tractable undercarriage, used by the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines,
was born September 12, 1888, in Bremen, Germany, where and Coast Guard, and by airlines and private owners all over
his father was United States Consul-General. He received his the world.
B.S. from Columbia College in 1908, and a M.A. in Aero-
nautics from Columbia University in 1910, the first such The Loening Aeronautical Engineering Corporation, his original
degree awarded in America. He received the Civil Engineering company, merged with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1928,
degree from Columbia in 1911. and Loening subsequently formed the Grover Loening Aircraft
Company, building several research aircraft and establishing his
After graduation, Loening joined a small aeroplane company in first consulting engineering practice, for the Chase Bank,
New York, building Bleriots for exhibition pilots. In 1912, he Fairchild Aircraft, Grumman Aircraft, Curtiss-Wright and many
built his pioneer Aeroboat. In 1913 Orville Wright employed others. During this period he was pioneer director of Pan
him as assistant and as manager of the Dayton factory. In 1914 American Airways.
first
he was appointed Chief Aeronautical Engineer of the U. S.
Army’s Aviation Section in San Diego. When the National Air Museum was founded in 1948,
aeronautical destroyers.
was awarded the Medal for Merit in 1946, the Eggleston
plane to be launched from Medal of Columbia University in 1949, the Wright Memorial
He also had an Trophy in 1950, the Air Force Medal in 1955, and the
engineer that
Army contract for the M-8, Guggenheim Medal in 1960 for “a lifetime devoted to the
two-seat Pursuit monoplane development of aeronautics in America.” In 1966 he was
in the used.
embodied the pioneer use of awarded the Silver Wings plaque by an organization of aviators.
rigid strut bracing, patented by As Director and Consulting Engineer of New York Airways, he
Loening, and thirty years later still widely researched the successful design of the Pam Am rooftop heli-
United with
After the war, Loening produced the port in the heart of New York City. The author of countless
Flying Yacht, a five-seat monoplane boat, articles and lectures on aviation the past half century, Loening
Liberty engine, which established world was also engaged in writing books about early aviation days.
States received
records and opened up the first significant His book, “Takeoff Into Greatness,” was the story of how
market for private aircraft. For this he American aviation grew so big, so fast. He made his home in
the Collier Trophy for 1921. His Florida until his death on February 29, 1976.
Army
next success was to pioneer Loening
Amphibian, with the first practical re-
MITCHELL
December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936
Billy Mitchell is the most famous and controversial allied aircraft in the air phase of the Saint Mihiel
figure in American airpower history. The son of a offensive. Recognized as the top American com-
wealthy Wisconsin senator, he enlisted as a private bat airman of the war (he was awarded the
during the Spanish American War. Quickly gaining Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished
first to
a commission due to the intervention of his father, he joined the Service Medal, and several foreign decorations), Mitchell, nev-
Signal Corps. He was an outstanding junior ertheless, managed to alienate most of his superiors, both fly-
officer, displaying a rare degree of initiative, ing and non-flying, during his 18 months in France.
successfully
courage, and leadership. After challenging
tours in the Philippines and Returning to the US in early 1919, Mitchell was appointed the
demonstrate
Alaska, Mitchell was deputy chief of the Air Service, retaining his one-star rank. His
assigned to the General relations with superiors continued to sour as he began to
Staff, at the time its youngest attack both the War and Navy Departments for being insuffi-
the capabilities
member. He slowly became ciently farsighted regarding airpower.
excited about aviation,
which was then Mitchell remained a vocal critic and in 1925 issued a statement
of aerial
assigned to the Signal that would eventually lead to his being court-martialed, found
Corps, and its possi- guilty of insubordination, and suspended from active duty for
five years without pay. Mitchell elected to resign instead as of 1
The General Billy Mitchell Award has existed since 1964. This award honors the late
Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, aviation pioneer, advocate, and staunch supporter of an inde-
pendent Air Force for America. Cadets receive this award after successfully completing the spe-
cific requirements in Phase I and II of the CAP cadet program. This award is certified and
awarded only by National Headquarters. NOTE: A silver star worn on the ribbon denotes suc-
cessful completion of Cadet Officer School. Senior members who remove the Mitchell ribbon
earned may move the silver star denoting Cadet Officer School from the Mitchell ribbon to the
highest cadet program ribbon earned. (See CAPR 52-16)
VERNON
RICKENBACKER
October 8, 1899 – July 23, 1973
From 1895 to 1922, Columbus, Ohio, was home of Eddie then joined General Motors where he
famed World War I aviator Edward “Eddie” Vernon worked in both their automobile and aircraft
Rickenbacker. Eddie, a leading race car driver prior to divisions. In 1938 he purchased Eastern
World War I, joined the American Expeditionary Force Airlines from General Motors, making it the
“first airline to operate without a subsidy from the Federal gov-
leading
as a sergeant and staff driver in 1917. He sailed to France the
next month with John J. Pershing and his staff. Although over- ernment.” During World War II Rickenbacker toured American
age and not a high school gradu- bases at home and abroad as a special civilian consultant for
American
ate, Rickenbacker, with the assis- Secretary of War Henry Stimson.
tance of William “Billy” Mitchell,
received an assignment to flight On one of these tours to the South Pacific, Eddie’s airplane
ace of
school. became lost, ran out of fuel and had to land in the ocean. His
book, “Seven Came Through,” describes the 24 days he and
After 17 days at the French avia- the crew spent adrift on life rafts before being found. After the
1918 officer,
commission as first lieu- age 73.
assigned to the Advanced In October 1972 Eddie Rickenbacker suffered a stroke, and he
Flight School at Issoudun as an engineering died in Zurich on July 24, 1973.
not a pilot. Eventually he was trans-
ferred to the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron, where on April 14,
1918; he took part in the “first combat mission ever ordered
by an American commander of an American squadron of Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker Achievement:
American pilots.” Rickenbacker became commander of the Edward Rickenbacker Ribbon
squadron on September 24. The next day he single-handedly The Rickenbacker Achievement is
took on seven German planes over the German lines and shot received at the completion of
down two of them—an act for which he was belatedly awarded Achievement 3 that is named to
the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1930. In six months he bring attention to flying skills and combat aviation leader-
shot down 26 German aircraft (22 airplanes and four balloons). ship. Cadets must successfully complete the specific
requirements in Phase II listed for this achievement. (See
Eddie Rickenbacker returned home after the end of the war as CAPR 52-16)
the idol of the American public, the “American Ace of Aces.”
He refused offers to make movies or endorse products, but he
did publish his war memoir entitled “Fighting the Flying Circus.”
He married Adelaide F. Durrant in 1922 and founded the
Rickenbacker Motor Company, which went bankrupt in 1927.
Born June 28, 1891 in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, Carl Andrew In March 1946 he succeeded General Arnold as commander in
Spaatz (originally Spatz — he added an “a” in 1937) graduat- chief of the Army Air Forces, and he became the first chief of
ed from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York in staff of the independent air force in September 1947. He held
1914 and was commissioned in the infantry. After a year at that post until retiring in July 1948 in the rank of general (he
Schofield barracks, Hawaii, he entered aviation training in San had been permanent major general since June 1946). He
Diego, California, became one of the army’s first pilots in served subsequently as chairman of the Civil Air Patrol and for
1916 and won promotion to first lieutenant in June. He a time contributed a column to Newsweek magazine. Spaatz
first
advanced to captain in May 1917 and was ordered to France in died in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 1974 and was interred
command of the 31st Aero Squadron. He on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was induct-
organized and directed the aviation training
U.S. Air
ed into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame in 1977.
school at Issoudon and by the end of the
war had managed to get just three weeks’
Force chief
combat duty, during which he shot down
three German aircraft. In June
1918 he was promoted to
Carl A. Spaatz Award:
of staff, After
temporary major.
General Carl Spaatz Ribbon
serving as commander of airfields
1947
in California, Texas and Michigan (along The Carl A. Spaatz Award is the highest Cadet Award
with various other duties), Spaatz grad- and denotes exceptional performance in the Cadet career.
uated from Command and General Staff This award has existed since 1964. The award honors the
School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in late General Carl A. Spaatz, who became the first U.S. Air
1936. After a tour of observation in England in 1940 he was Force Chief of Staff on September 26, 1947. General
promoted to temporary brigadier general and named to head Spaatz (pronounced “spots”) was also CAP’s first National
the material division of the Air Corps, and in July 1941 he Board Chairman, a position he held from May 26, 1948,
became chief of the air staff under General Henry H. “Hap” to April 27, 1959. The Cadet must successfully complete
Arnold, chief of the (renamed) Army Air Forces. all phases of the CAP Cadet Program and the General Carl
A. Spaatz Award examination. This award is certified and
In January 1941 he was appointed chief of the Air Force awarded only by National Headquarters. (See CAPR 52-16)
Combat Command. Later in that year he returned to England
to begin planning the American air effort in Europe. In May
1942 he became commander of the Eighth Air
Force. In November 1942 he went to North
Africa to reorganize the Allied air forces there
for General Dwight D. Eisenhower, becoming com-
mander of the Northwest African Air Forces (NWAAF)
in February 1943. In March he was promoted to temporary
lieutenant general. From March to December 1943 he was also
commander of the Twelfth Air Force, a unit of the NWAAF,
National Awards & Achievements 23
GILL
ROBB
WILSON
1893 – September 8, 1966
As the Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Service celebrates its 50th became the first person, who was not a former army chaplain,
anniversary this year, it is interesting to note that one of CAP’s to become the National Chaplain of the American Legion.
founders — Gill Robb Wilson — was a Presbyterian clergyman
who became the primary motivator for encouraging the Air Mr. Wilson always had a love of aviation, and from 1930 to
Force to organize a chaplain program for CAP. 1945 he was New Jersey’s director of aviation. Later he served
as a correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune during
Air Force Maj. Gen. Lucas V. Beau, the CAP National World War II.
Commander and CAP-U.S. Air Force Commander from
CAP’s
October 1947 to December 1955, and Brig. General D. Mr. Wilson was a close friend of Gen. Billy Mitchell and helped
Harold Byrd, Chairman of the CAP develop a civilian pilot training program in World War II.
founder
Board from April 1959 to April
1960, joined the CAP founder in As both a minister and founder of CAP, no one can dispute
1949 when he visited with the Air that Gill Robb Wilson was CAP’s first “chaplain.” Today, there
and first
Force Chief of Chaplains, Maj. Gen. is no doubt that Mr. Wilson would be proud to see how his
Charles Carpenter, asking for help in concern for a CAP chaplain program has developed into a
organizing a chaplain program. chaplain service consisting of 660 chaplains
chaplain
and 125 moral leadership officers.
A few months later, in January 1950,
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Robert Preston
Taylor was appointed as the first
National Chaplain to CAP National
Headquarters with a mandate to develop a professional model
for ministry that resembled the Air Force’s.
After suffering injuries when his plane crashed during the war,
Mr. Wilson returned to seminary in 1919 and became his
father’s assistant in Parkersburg, W.V.
The Gill Robb Wilson Award is Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) highest award for senior member
professional development. It recognizes senior members who have dedicated themselves to leader-
ship and personal development in the CAP. This award was first given in 1964 and honors the late
Gill Robb Wilson. He is regarded as the founder of Civil Air Patrol, and served as CAP’s first exec-
utive officer. [See CAPR 39-3 (E)]
WRIGHT WRIGHT
April 16, 1867 - August 19, 1871 -
May 30, 1912 March 30, 1948
The Wright brothers made the first four successful airplane and final flight, eight hundred fifty-two feet in fifty-nine sec-
first men
flights on the cold, windswept sands of North Carolina’s Outer onds, it is Orville’s earlier flight that is best remembered. As
Banks. Their “Flyer” lifted from Orville later described:
to fly a
level ground to the north of Big
Kill Devil Hill, at 10:35 a.m., on “This flight lasted only twelve seconds, but it was nevertheless
December 17, 1903. Orville the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying
power-driven,
piloted the six hundred and five a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full
pound machine flight, had sailed forward without a reduction in speed, and had
during the first finally landed at a point as high as that from which it began.”
heavier-than-air
flight, traveling
one hundred With these four successful flights Wilbur and Orville launched
machine, Although
twenty feet in the world into the age of aviation.
twelve seconds.
1903
Wilbur achieved the best
results of the day on the fourth
The Wright Brothers Award in the CAP Cadet Program took effect on 1 April 2003, in the centen-
nial of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s historic first flight.
This award is earned after completing Phase I, “The Learning Phase,” consisting of the first three achieve-
ments of the cadet program. In addition, the cadet must pass a challenging examination testing leadership
knowledge and proficiency in drill and ceremonies.
Once a cadet earns the Wright Brothers Award, they are promoted to the grade of cadet staff sergeant,
begin service as cadet non-commissioned officers, and continue to participate and advance as cadets in
the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol.
“CHUCK”
YEAGER
February 13, 1923 –
first
enlisted as a private in the Army Air Corps. He was later tion. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of
accepted for pilot training under the flying sergeant program in Louisiana Pacific Corp., the National Fish and Wildlife
July 1942, and received his pilot Foundation. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to
person to
wings and appointment as a flight serve on the National Commission on Space and the commis-
officer in March 1943 at Luke sion to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in
Field, Arizona. 1986. He is a consultant test pilot for the Air Force Flight Test
pilot an 1thepastworld's
Center at Edwards Air Force Base.
On Oct. 14, 1947, he flew the XS-
He has published two books entitled, “Yeager” and “Press On: