SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 23

(By Senators Leonhardt. Beach, D. Hall, Miller and Plymale)

Recognizing the West Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol for its dedicated service to our state and nation.

            Whereas, On December 1, 1941, one week prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Civil Air Patrol was established to supplement the U. S. Military during World War II; and

            Whereas, Thousands of volunteer members answered America's call to national service and sacrifice by accepting and performing critical wartime missions; and

            Whereas, Assigned to the War Department under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps, the Civil Air Patrol logged more than 500,000 flying hours, sank two enemy submarines and saved hundreds of crash victims during World War II; and

            Whereas, On May 26, 1948, Congress passed Public Law 557 permanently establishing Civil Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the U. S. Air Force to perform three primary missions - Emergency Services, Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education; and

            Whereas, Since the Civil Air Patrol’s beginning, the all-volunteer organization has set itself apart during our Nation’s most tumultuous times by, among many other things, locating and sinking enemy submarines during World War II; assisting rescuers and state agencies immediately following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; supporting hurricane disaster relief efforts in 2005 and 2008; and more recently flying hundreds of missions in response to the BP oil spill; as well as aiding communities during other natural disasters; and

            Whereas, The Civil Air Patrol further provides vital homeland security missions that help ensure the protection of our National Capitol and the Nation as a whole by assisting Air Force pilots with target-intercept training and by assisting our Military with acquiring distant targets; and

            Whereas, The West Virginia Wing annually flies photographic and other homeland security-related missions and missions in support of the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and other state and local emergency and law-enforcement agencies; and

            Whereas, The West Virginia Wing works very closely with our state’s emergency services and homeland security agencies and personnel in training for response to natural disasters, terrorist attacks as well as air and ground search and rescue operations; and

            Whereas, The West Virginia Wing, with its small, single-engine aircraft, vehicles and all-volunteer force, is constantly prepared for immediate dispatch on search, rescue and recovery missions here in West Virginia, and has performed notable search and rescue missions, most recently the search for a crashed U. S. Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter near Cass, West Virginia, where the Civil Air Patrol volunteer rescuers, after locating the downed helicopter, struggled through a raging snowstorm to reach the crash site on the side of a wooded mountain which rose at a steep 60-degree angle, then had to carry the helicopter’s most severely injured crew members and passengers by stretcher through 500 to 600 yards of snow, waist-deep or higher, to a Sno-Cat provided by Snowshoe Mountain Resort, an endeavor to get the victims to medical triage that lasted 12 hours in the heavy snow and ice conditions; and

            Whereas, The Civil Air Patrol provides exceptional educational and growth opportunities for youth through its nearly 26,000-member strong cadet program, which annually provides access to top national summer flight academies to learn to fly powered and glider aircraft, as well as to approximately 30 national programs emphasizing leadership and careers in aviation; and

            Whereas, The West Virginia Wing has 16 units throughout the state with a total of 589 volunteer cadet and senior members; and

            Whereas, The Civil Air Patrol was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 for its service during World War II; and

            Whereas, The West Virginia Wing has six members, two of whom are still living today, confirmed as Congressional Gold Medal recipients; and

            Whereas, The Senate encourages all citizens to observe February 6, 2015, as Civil Air Patrol Day in West Virginia; therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate:

            That the Senate hereby recognizes the West Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol for its dedicated service to our state and nation; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.