101 Yr Old Presides over Civil Air Patrol 76th Anniversary
Evanston, IL - 101 year old, Colonel Charles Compton, retired CAP member, presided over the 76th Anniversary of the Civil Air Patrol celebration held on December 13, 2017.
Colonel Compton's dedication to the young cadets of the Civil Air Patrol Squadron that bears his name continues despite his retirement or advanced age. Each year members of the Illinois Wing of Civil Air Patrol make the pilgrimage to Evanston to share in the celebration with this Congressional Gold Medal recipient (2014) to hear stories of his honorable service to our country as one of CAP's inaugural members during World War II.
The War required the full commitment of the U. S military and its civilians at home and thus Civil Air Patrol was formed just one week before the attack on Pearl Harbor comprised of all volunteer members. Colonel Compton's charter was to patrol U.S. coasts providing surveillance and protection for military and supply ships. The Colonel flew out of the first operational CAP base in Atlantic City and provided submarine spotting and convoy protection along the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware. Pilots provided aerial escort, surveillance and warning for military convoys, oilers and merchant ships bringing supplies to the Allies. CAP pilots flew 500,000 hours and saved hundreds of crash victims from 1941 to 1945 with 65 members losing their lives out of the 120,0000 volunteers.
On May 30th, 2014 President Barack Obama signed legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Civil Air Patrol for Service during the War. The Congressional Gold Medal is the nation's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by an individual, institution or event.
On December 13, 2017, Colonel Compton again served our nation by presiding over the promotion of Chaplain Bret Lortie to the rank of Lt Colonel and 7 Cadet promotions. Members from throughout the Illinois Wing of Civil Air Patrol will be present along with members of the Col Charles Compton Composite Squadron to help celebrate the Colonel, the newly appointed Lt Colonel Lortie and the 76th Anniversary of the Civil Air Patrol.
Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force's Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP's 58,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP also plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to 25,000 young people participating in CAP's Cadet Programs. For more information visit: www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.cap.news