The lying Blue Hear by Carlton L. Clark History 202-2 Professor Short April 14, 1995On May 26, 1948, Harry S. Truman signed Public Law number 557 that incorporated the Civil Air Patrol as the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force. At the time this law was passed, CAP hhad only been in existence for about 7 years, However, the Civil Air Patrol had distinguished itself dramatically on the homefront during World War II, But what is the Civil Air Patro!? What had they done ‘0 deserve the honor of being associated with the United States Air Force? It is my pleasure to be able to give you a brief background of the Civil Air Patrol and its efforts in World War II. I would then like to focus on Civil Air Patrol actions in Delaware during World War Il, because that is where the Civil Air Patrol really got started, Between 1938 and 1941, the American people were becoming increasingly concerned about the power of the Axis countries in Europe. For the first time people realized that the Axis powers, Germany in particular, might pose a real threat to the United States in the future. Every day German submarines were ‘venturing closer and closer to the American coastline. During this time, civilian flights were drastically curtailed or eliminated altogether in many sections of the country. This was done to ensure that military flights were given top priority. However, civilian pilots were not too happy with this arrangement because many of them were still eager to fly, and they were not used to being grounded for long periods of time. Many of these pilots wore prevented from serving in the Army or Navy because of age ot health reasons. They still wanted to fly, however, and they knew that they had valuable flying skills that could help the ‘country, It was the combined factors of being able to fly and serve their country at the same time that ‘eventually led to the formation of the Civil Air Patrol. The first effort to organize a "coastal patrol” was put forth by Gill Robb Wilson around 1938. This coastal patrol was formed under the title of the New Jersey Civil Air Defense Services, Set up on a trial basis, it was watched closely in order to see what the possible benefits of such a patrol might be. Its main mission was liaison work between the Civilian Defense Page 1Service and the Army Air Corps. This "patrol" was also put in charge of patrolling the coast, dams, storage facilities, and anything else that might be susceptible to attack. These civilian pilots were a very ‘unorganized group of people with no direction whatsoever in accomplishing their mission. However, they ‘were so successful in relaying valuable information that a special board was set up to see how a patrol on the national level could help the country. ‘This board was headed by New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the Director of Civil Defense, and Gill Robb Wilson, a well-known aviation writer of the time”, Also present on the board were other Civil Air Patrol advocates who saw the values of such an organization. The board drew up proposed ‘guidelines for the young Civil Air Patrol as well as a clearly defined mission, in order to give the patrol some direction. The program still had to be approved by the Army, and a military board, headed by General "Hap" Amold, was soon put together. Amold realized that the Civil Air Patrol could relieve the amy of the burdensome job of patrolling the coasts, and this would free army pilots who were needed elsewhere. The board quickly approved the idea, and on December 1, 1941, (six days before Pearl Harbor) LaGuardia signed a formal order creating the Civil Air Patrol. Although there was much to be happy about, there was no time to celebrate as war loomed on the horizon. As early as 1942, German submarines were sinking merchant and passenger ships up and down the ‘eastem coast of the United States at an alarming rate. By March of 1942, German U-boats had reached the entrance to the Delaware Bay. By May of the same year, a total of 52 ships had been sunk in American waters. Because of this, it was decided that three coastal patrol bases would be set up at key points along, the east coast to protect the United States as well as its shipping industry. ‘The sites chosen for these bases were Atlantic City, New Jersey; Rehoboth, Delaware; and Lantana, Florida, The primary job of these bases ‘was to fly convoys for ships and wam them of lurking German submarines. The first combat flight flown by Civil Air Patrol was subsequently flown out of Rehoboth. It is this base in Rehoboth that I would now like to focus on more closely. Page 2Rehoboth, Delaware, was a small town that had a lot in common with many other coastal towns in America, Fishing, and especially crabbing, were prevalent in this small lazy town, But in April of 1942, ‘things were about to change. The base that was set up in Rehoboth was given the name Coastal Patrol Base #2. The base was soon operating around the clock, and it took every ounce of manpower for the pilot's to Keep it running, Because of the personnel shortage when the base opened, each pilot had to work ‘twice as hard and fly twice as often in order to cover the entire coast of Delaware. However, by mid-May, ‘a base that had opened with only a handful of men soon boasted as many as 35 pilots and 8-10 airplanes’. ‘These men were dravm from all walks of life, many being chemists, engineers, carpenters, and photographers in their spare time. A couple of pilots who flew for the Civil Air Patrol in Rehoboth came from as far away as Canada and Australia. Between 1942 and 1943, Rehoboth was home to some of the best and most experienced pila's in the country. ‘A commander for this base was needed who could quickly organize the patrol into an effective aerial reconnaissance team, Holgor Hoiriis, a veteran pilot, was soon appointed "willy nly", as many of the plot's recalled, Although Hoiriis did not have a knack for paperwork, he did know how to organize a xagctag group of pilots into a valuable asset to the country. Holger Hoiriis was the first to set up specific search pattems along the coast, and pilots were soon covering every square inch of Delaware's coast. Hoiriis was looked up to by everyone on the base, and he could be counted on to take care of his men at all times. His surprising and sudden death a few months into his command brought grief to the whole base. Everyone realized however that the base must continue to operate, and in his place Maj. Hugh Sharp Jr, ‘was appointed as the second commander of Coastal Patrol Base # 2. Sharp remained commander of the base for the remainder of the time it was operational. The first mission flown by Civil Air Patrol, as I ‘mentioned earlier, was flown out of Rehoboth by Hugh Sharp and Lt. Eddie Edwards (see photo in back), The pilots at Rehoboth flew mostly Fairchild 24's, which tumed out to be the workhorse of the Civil Air Patrol for the most part*, Rehoboth also boasted a plane that was equipped with pontoons that allowed Page 3pilots to land the plane at sea. Most ofthe planes flown out of Rehoboth carried the Delaware Blue Hen symbol on their sides that served as a mascot to the men on base. The plots were required to flyin pairs in ‘case one plane had to ditch, and they often flew at low altitudes, usually around 500 ft. These pilots carried relatively no safety equipment whatsoever, and their flying suits, known affectionately as "Zoot suits,” consisted of nothing more than a life vest. During World War I, a total of 26 CAP pilots were killed in the line of duty. Unfortunately for Delaware, four of these pilots were from Rehoboth, As a tribute to these men, a memorial was set up in 1967 to commemorate the four wio never came back (photo also included). ‘Submarines along the East coast were first sighted by the Delaware Wing in May of 1942. Civil Air Patrol pilots flying along the coast east of Cape May spotted an object in the water that they thought was a tanker. The pilot decided to dive toward the tanker to get a closer look, and when he started his descent the “tanker” immediately dove beneath the surface of the water. Although this submarine was never seen again, the pilots realized that they were stalking a more deadly enemy than they had at first imagined, The second U-boat sighting took place roughly around June of 1942. CAP pilots were flying a routine moming patrol off Five Fathom Bank near Ocean City. They were soon given orders to fly a convoy fora U.S, tanker that was on its way to England, All of sudden, the pilot caught the glint of sunlight on something in the water. This "something" tumed out to be a German periscope that was attached to a German submarine. The Civil Air Patrol pilot dove at the sub, and when the sub spotted the plane it immediately started to dive, The submarine immediately vanished from sight, and could not be located again by the pilot. The submarine, however, was spotted again the next day; this time in tow by a Navy ship. Reports show that the Civil Air Patrol plane forced the submarine to ground itself in the shallow water off the southem coast of Delaware’. Since planes were not allowed to carry bombs until early in 1943, pilots could do no damage to enemy submarines. The German submarine commanders had no way of knowing this, however, and were forced to dive or retreat when the Civil Air Patrol showed up. Although no German submarines were ever sunk by the Delaware Wing, there was a dramatic decrease in Page 4the number of ships sunk while Coastal Patrol Base # 2 was operating out of Rehoboth. When a German submarine commander was asked at the war trials why they stopped sinking ships in the Delaware Bay, he responded by saying, "It was those damn little red and yellow planes!" ‘The coastal patrol at Rehoboth had another "first" for Civil Air Patrol, Lt. Edwards and Maj Sharp were both awarded Air Medals by president Roosevelt (see photo) for their heroic actions in saving a fallow pilot who was forced to crash-land his plane, The awarding of tie Air Medal toa civilian was @ first in history, and an account of their actions follow, One day in the winter of 1942, two pilots named Shelfus and Cross were flying a routine patrol ‘when an engine failure forced them to ditch the airplane, The seas were rough, with 8 to 10 foot waves and ‘a severe headwind. Upon crashing, Shelfus was thrown from the plane and sadly his body was never recovered. He was pronounced lost at sea. Cross, on the other hand, was still alive but had suffered a broken back and was in intense pain by the time help arrived, Help arrived in the form of Sharp and Edwards. The two pilots were flying a Sikorsky amphibian ‘with pontoons that allowed them to land the plane at sea (a picture of the actual plane is shown at back). Their fist attempt to land next to Cross failed, but their second try was successful and Cross was pulled aboard the plane. Upon landing, one of the pontoons on the plane had been cracked and was taking on water rapidly. The plane was listing heavily to the left, and it was impossible to take off with this excess water. To balance the plane, Lt. Edwards crawled out onto the wing of the airplane and sat their for eleven hours while Sharp taxied the plane back to shore. During the eleven hours ride back to shore, Lt. Edwards hands actually froze to the wing strats of the plane, and they had to be pried loose. The three men miraculously survived their ordeal, and Cross recovered fully from his broken back although he would never fly again’. It was for this heroic action in saving a fellow pilot that Sharp and Edwards were awarded the Air Medal by President Roosevelt. This unselfish act of Sharp and Edwards in the face of extreme danger showed the extreme dedication of these men and the camaraderie that they all shared. Page $Coastal Patrol Base #2 in Rehoboth was decommissioned in the fall of 1943, Most pilots who flew during the year and a half that the base was operational will say that the base was an effective deterrent to ‘the German U-boats. As Maj. Sharp said in 1991, "We must have been successful because the sinkings right at the coast stopped. Something must have happened!"* It was supreme dedication that made these ‘men successful and they set the tone for generations of the Civil Air Patrol to come. In a broader sense, ‘they also showed the extent civilians are willing to go to to serve their country, and that civilians could actually be useful. The cooperation between these men was a tribute not only to themselves but all of Civil Air Patrol because they pooled together personal resources and ideas to make the patrol an effective organization Its important to give a brief glimpse of the Civil Air Patrol today and how it has changed over the years. The Civil Air Patrol today has no mission in wartime and will notin the future. Times have changed drastically since W.W_II, and there is no longer the necessity of a coastal patrol. However, there is still the need for good experienced pilots who can work together in emergency situations.. As you will see, there are a wide variety of jobs for Civil Air Patrol today and they are all performed with the same determination and perseverance that their ancestors showed during World War I ‘Ono of Civil Air Patro!'s main functions is in the area of Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, CCAP members are trained in first aid and search techniques, and are often used to locate missing aircraft that have crashed. Most aircraft are equipped with an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) which is set ‘off upon sudden impact. When this transmitter is keyed from a crash, a beeping noise is heard on a specific radio frequency that is monitored by the FAA and CAP 24 hours a day. For many pilots itis comforting to know that there is help on the way in case of a mishap while im flight. Civil Air Patrol is also in involved in Disaster Reliof (DR) operations, and they work very closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), In times of natural disasters, CAP volunteers will help set up shelters and find missing people, as well as administer first aid when necessary. When tho Page 6‘earthquakes hit California in 1993, Civil Air Patrol members worked in coordination withthe state police to help the people recover from the massive destruction. Along the same lines, during the floods that hit the Midwest CAP volunteers risked their lives to pull people from raging rivers, and pilots flew missions to locate people in distress and radio their locations ‘The one function of present day Civil Air Patrol that probably has the greatest effect is Aerospace ‘education, Civil Air Patrol endeavors to inform the public on all aspects of aviation, and actually gives ‘those who join the Patrol hands on experience. Cadets who train in the Civil Air Patrol are given many hours of flying time in order to encourage their interest in aviation. ‘These young men and women who are training today are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, and so the Civil Air Patrol makes sure that they receive the best training possible. For those cadets who are involved with the program, there is the chance of receiving solo scholarships and then going on to get a pilot's license. ‘Asa member of the present day Civil Air Patrol, Thave had the privilege of flying with some of the best pilot's in the Delaware Wing. Never in the history of Civil Air Patrol has it been necessary to tell ‘those who are involved the importance of their job. Each member knows they have important jobs to do, and they all prepare themselves to do their job to the best oftheir ability. As one veteran pilot of the Patrol put it, “ust knowing how to accomplish a mission isn't enough unless you have the skills necessary to accomplish the mission ®" The Civil Air Patrol is constantly on alert and is there when any type of emergency arrives. Although the mission of CAP has changed over the years, our motto has stood the test, of time and will for years to come. SEMPER VIGILANS: “Always Vigilant” Page 7Endnotes "Built on the concept of using pilots as an augmented force in the coming war. La Guardia was the first director of the Office of Civilian Defense, and Gill Robb Wilson was gaining fame with his articles on aviation. 3Although the actual numbers changed during Coastal Patrol # 2's brief history, these numbers represent Rehoboth at its height during the war Although there was a wide variety of planes on the base, the Fairchild 24 was a patrol farther off the coast than any of the other planes. SThe accounts of the submarine sightings were taken from oral interviews of the pilots involved. SQuote from Maj. Hugh Sharp in 1983. Civil Air Patrol Oral History Interview: pgs 44-45 Available from the National Historical Committee for Civil Air Patrol located at Maxwell AFB, AL. Interview Number: WNHC 13.83-17 This account of the rescue was verified by both Sharp and Edwards in separate interviews around 1991 *Quote from Maj. Hugh Sharp in 1983. Civil Air Patrol Oral History Interview:pg 45 Available from the National Historical Committee for Civil Air Patrol located at ‘Maxwell AFB, AL, Interview Number: WNHC 13.83-17 °Quote from Lt. Eddie Edwards in 1991, Civil Air Patrol Oral History Interview: pg 17 Available from the National Historical Committee for Civil Air Patrol located at ‘Maxwell AFB, AL, Interview Number: WNHC 34.91-2 Page 8Works Cited National Historical Committee, Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol Oral History Interview: Major Hugh R. Sharp Jr. Maxwell AFB, AL.: National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol, 1983. ‘National Historical Committee, Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol Oral History Interview: Mr. W. Logan Grier, Maxwell AFB, AL.: National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol, 1991 National Historical Committee, Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol Oral History Interview: Lt. Eddie Edwards. Maxwell AFB, AL.: National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol, 1991. National Historical Committee, Civil Air Patrol. Zntroduction to Civil Air Patrol. Maxwell AFB, AL.: National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol, 1990, National Historical Committeem, Civil Air Patrol. Civil Air Patrol Coastal Patrol Base 2, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 1942-1943. Maxwell AFB, AL.: National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol, 1991 Thiel, Roger. "Rehoboth Reunion: Return and Reminisce." 1991: : pgs. 1-3. Page 9RESCUE AMPHIBIAN — Sikorsky flying boat, kept for rescue, used in Sharp & Edwards save. PRESIDENTIAL AWARDING — President Roosevelt awards the Air Medal to Maj. Hugh Sharp and Lt. Eddie Edwards; ‘The White House, Washington, D.C., 1942.«CARS, BPG Burzep ay Weoos ‘dregs yan “(eA pur sprea pat olppat "VI — NOINNY S.OUSHKEEP ’EM FLYING — 1943 Rehoboth Maintenance Crew MEMORIAL — erected in 1967, to the 4 who never came back. 10FLOWERS — Base Two personnel in “zoot suits,” With flowers to be dropped over the ocean. in memory of a lost Squadron member, 1943. READY FOR ACTION ~ Lt. Ed Phipps, ‘THE FACE OF — one of “the 26” whonever with Fairchild 24; note bomb, came back. Lt. Del Garrett, lost at sea, March 19, 1943.(o1oyd -sossy 3009 wai) 4000 Walp ‘AECL. WO, ION Wo], ‘OUD UeFOT :MoY 320 Bay, une “pug ,,Amnug,, ag “dioyg YNH OO ‘sprempg appa ‘sddiyg Pa :Moy yuor ‘NOINNAY eset ‘ONL asvE