CAP- 70 years of service to nation, its citizens

  • Published
  • By Mary Lou Gorny
  • Hilltop Times editor
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Seventy years ago, Dec. 1, 1941, the Civil Air Patrol was signed into existence by administrative order of Frank LaGuardia, director of the Office of Civil Defense, just six days before the advent of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. CAP's mission during World War II to patrol the coasts for enemy submarines and help protect the nation's shipping lanes resulted in over 500,000 hours spent in flight to fulfill that mandate.

On Dec. 4, at the Hill Air Force Base Mazer Chapel, a former commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Training Command, Gen. (Ret.) Robert C. Oaks, spoke during the annual Civil Air Patrol Sunday service.

The state organization has approximately 700 members; nationally CAP has approximately 60,000 members, said Col. Jerry Wellman, CAP Utah Wing commander, as he gave brief remarks in introducing the keynote speaker.

"We regularly fly missions in support of search and rescue, disaster relief, homeland security and communications relay," said Wellman of current roles in which CAP members serve

"Our youth excel in their leadership in aerospace and weekly meetings and during events such as weeklong encampments with a great deal of Air Force support, with whom we enjoy a great association," he added.

"CAP members are known worldwide as they live and serve and are examples of our organization's 'Core Values' of 'Integrity,' 'Volunteer Service,' 'Excellence' and 'Respect,' " Wellman said.

Oaks opened his remarks with memories of earlier visits to Hill Air Force Base over the course of his career and the opportunity to take his grandchildren to the Hill Aerospace Museum to show them the aircraft he had flown. He praised the millions of hours of service provided by CAP since its foundation.

He focused on the CAP "Core Values" and noted how easy it was to find instances in the daily newspapers and nightly news of behavior exhibiting such a lack.

"The moral and ethical fiber foundation of too many people have drifted and shifted in unfortunate directions," Oaks said.

He mentioned an oft-quoted study of integrity and morality in young adults in America conducted by a team of Notre Dame University researchers who found that two-thirds of young adults exhibit an inability to identify what a moral dilemma actually consisted of. The team found a general lack of vocabulary skills to address such matters. The respondents could not correctly identify a moral dilemma they had experienced in their own lives or they gave examples that were more or less along the lines of whether or not they had enough quarters in their pocket for a parking meter or whether they could afford the rent for a particular apartment.

Oaks quoted the CAP declaration for its "Core Values" as he began a brief look at all four of those principles: "Integrity is the cornerstone for all that is moral and just in our society, embracing attributes such as courage, responsibility, accountability, justice, openness, self-respect and humility."

Oaks went on to praise the dedication and service given by CAP members for search and rescue and the education it provides to cadets as part of the second core value "Volunteer Service."

Oaks also praised the pursuit of "Excellence" and how such a pursuit contributes to well-run organizations, families and other institutions. "Maybe most importantly, we feel good about ourselves when we are dedicated to doing our very best in every endeavor we are involved in," Oaks added.

The last "Core Value" -- that of "Respect" he characterized as that of the Golden Rule -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

"It means we treat them with fairness and with dignity," he said. "It means we have concern for their general well-being."

He encouraged participation in church and said that the 10 Commandments, the Beatitudes and other great teachings of the Sermon on the Mount can be found in the foundations of most civilized society and in the foundation of the Civil Air Patrol "Core Values."

"I am firmly convinced that the state of one's moral values and their going to church habits are connected in a very positive way," Oaks said.

He praised the CAP cadets for making a choice to launch themselves on an exciting course of service, learning and independence. Oaks said that in addition to their learning about aviation that they would learn how to get along better with the people around them.

"You will have leadership opportunities," Oaks said. "Most importantly you will have the opportunity for having the enduring 'Core Values' of the Civil Air Patrol as part of your character. This will provide you with lasting personal satisfaction as you discover new ways to provide service at home, school and the workplace."