[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 6 (Monday, February 4, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E63]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION HONORING THE SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                            CIVIL AIR PATROL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 4, 2002

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a 
House Concurrent Resolution honoring the Civil Air Patrol for sixty 
years of service to the nation.
  Founded on December 1, 1941, the Civil Air Patrol was originally 
charged with mobilizing civilian pilots in domestic defense and rescue 
missions under the Office of Civilian Defense during World War II. CAP 
pilots would serve with distinction logging over 500,000 hours of 
flying time, sinking two German U-boats, and performing hundreds of 
search and rescue missions.
  With the end of hostilities, CAP's responsibilities only grew. On 
July 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 476, 
incorporating CAP as a benevolent, nonprofit organization. And on May 
26, 1948, Congress passed Public Law 557 which permanently established 
CAP as the Auxiliary of the newly created U.S. Air Force. For the next 
fifty-four years CAP would mobilize its resources to fulfil its 
Congressionally mandated mission of providing aerospace education, 
cadet programs and emergency services to the American public.
  The CAP cadet program has trained over 750,000 youth in leadership 
and life skills over the course of the past sixty years. During that 
same period, CAP pilots have flown over one million hours on search and 
rescue missions, saving several thousand lives. In 1951, CAP initiated 
its aerospace educations program which has since trained over 300,000 
teachers in math and science, as they relate to aviation. These 
teachers have, in turn, taught over 18 million students.
  I humbly urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the Civil Air 
Patrol on this, their sixtieth anniversary.

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