#aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cji ,,an ,,act ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal to the ,world ,war ,,ii members of the ,civil ,air ,patrol4 #a4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the unpaid volunteer members of the ,civil ,air ,patrol 7hereafter in this ,act referred to as the ,,cap7 during ,world ,war ,,ii provided extraordinary humanitarian1 combat1 and national services during a critical time of need for the ,nation4 7#b7 ,during the war1 ,,cap members used their own aircraft to perform a myriad of essential tasks for the military and the ,nation within the ,united ,states1 including attacks on enemy submarines off the ,atlantic and ,gulf of ,mexico coasts of the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,this extraordinary national service set the stage for the post-war ,,cap to become a valuable nonprofit1 public service organization chartered by ,congress and designated the ,auxiliary of the ,united ,states ,air ,force that provides essential emergency1 operational1 and public services to communities1 ,states1 the ,federal ,government1 and the military4 7#d7 ,the ,,cap was established on ,december #a1 #aida1 initially as a part of the ,office of ,civil ,defense1 by air-minded citizens one week before the surprise attack on ,pearl ,harbor1 ,hawaii1 out of the desire of civil airmen of the country to be mobilized with their equipment in the common defense of the ,nation4 7#e7 ,within days of the start of the war1 the ,german ,navy started a massive submarine offensive1 known as ,operation ,drumbeat1 off the east coast of the ,united ,states against oil tankers and other critical shipping that threatened the overall war effort4 7#f7 ,neither the ,navy nor the ,army had enough aircraft1 ships1 or other resources to adequately patrol and protect the shipping along the ,atlantic and ,gulf of ,mexico coasts of the ,united ,states1 and many ships were torpedoed and sunk1 often within sight of civilians on shore1 including #eb tankers sunk between ,january and ,march #aidb4 7#g7 ,at that time ,general ,george ,marshall remarked that the losses by submarines off our ,atlantic seaboard and in the ,caribbean now threaten our entire war effort4 7#h7 ,from the beginning ,,cap leaders urged the military to use its services to patrol coastal waters but met with great resistance because of the nonmilitary status of ,,cap civilian pilots4 7#i7 ,finally1 in response to the ever-increasing submarine attacks1 the ,tanker ,committee of the ,petroleum ,industry ,war ,council urged the ,navy ,department and the ,war ,department to consider the use of the ,,cap to help patrol the sea lanes off the coasts of the ,united ,states4 7#aj7 ,while the ,navy initially rejected this suggestion1 the ,army decided it had merit1 and the ,civil ,air ,patrol ,coastal ,patrol began in ,march #aidb4 7#aa7 ,oil companies and other organizations provided funds to help pay for some ,,cap operations1 including vitally needed shore radios that were used to monitor patrol missions4 7#ab7 ,by late ,march #aidb1 the ,navy also began to use the services of the ,,cap4 7#ac7 ,starting with #c bases located in ,delaware1 ,florida1 and ,new ,jersey1 ,,cap aircrews 7ranging in age from #ah to over #hj7 immediately started to spot enemy submarines as well as lifeboats1 bodies1 and wreckage4 7#ad7 ,within #ae minutes of starting his patrol on the first ,coastal ,patrol flight1 a pilot had sighted a torpedoed tanker and was coordinating rescue operations4 7#ae7 ,eventually #ba bases1 ranging from ,bar ,harbor1 ,maine1 to ,brownsville1 ,texas1 were set up for the ,,cap to patrol the ,atlantic and ,gulf of ,mexico coasts of the ,united ,states1 with #dj1jjj volunteers eventually participating4 7#af7 ,the ,,cap used a wide range of civilian-owned aircraft1 mainly light-weight1 single-engine aircraft manufactured by ,cessna1 ,beech1 ,waco1 ,fairchild1 ,stinson1 ,piper1 ,taylorcraft1 and ,sikorsky1 among others1 as well as some twin engine aircraft1 such as the ,grumman ,widgeon4 7#ag7 ,most of these aircraft were painted in their civilian prewar colors 7red1 yellow1 or blue1 for example7 and carried special markings 7a blue circle with a white triangle7 to identify them as ,,cap aircraft4 7#ah7 ,patrols were conducted up to #ajj miles off shore1 generally with #b aircraft flying together1 in aircraft often equipped with only a compass for navigation and a single radio for communication4 7#ai7 ,due to the critical nature of the situation1 ,,cap operations were conducted in bad weather as well as good1 often when the military was unable to fly1 and in all seasons1 including the winter1 when ditching an aircraft in cold water would likely mean certain death to the aircrew4 7#bj7 ,personal emergency equipment was often lacking1 particularly during early patrols where inner tubes and kapok duck hunter vests were carried as flotation devices1 since ocean worthy wet suits1 life vests1 and life rafts were unavailable4 7#ba7 ,the initial purpose of the ,coastal ,patrol was to spot submarines1 report their position to the military1 and force them to dive below the surface1 which limited their operating speed and maneuverability and reduced their ability to detect and attack shipping1 because attacks against shipping were conducted while the submarines were surfaced4 7#bb7 ,it immediately became apparent that there were opportunities for ,,cap pilots to attack submarines1 such as when a ,florida ,,cap aircrew came across a surfaced submarine that quickly stranded itself on a sand bar4 ,however1 the aircrew could not get any assistance from armed military aircraft before the submarine freed itself4 7#bc7 ,finally1 after several instances when the military could not respond in a timely manner1 a decision was made by the military to arm ,,cap aircraft with #ej- and #ajj-pound bombs1 and to arm some larger twin-engine aircraft with #cbe-pound depth charges4 7#bd7 ,the arming of ,,cap aircraft dramatically changed the mission for these civilian aircrews and resulted in more than #eg attacks on enemy submarines4 7#be7 ,while ,,cap volunteers received #h a day flight reimbursement for costs incurred1 their patrols were accomplished at a great economic cost to many ,,cap members who-- 7,a7 used their own aircraft and other equipment in defense of the ,nation2 7,b7 paid for much of their own aircraft maintenance and hangar use2 and 7,c7 often lived in the beginning in primitive conditions along the coast1 including old barns and chicken coops converted for sleeping4 7#bf7 ,more importantly1 the ,,cap ,coastal ,patrol service came at the high cost of #bf fatalities1 #g serious injuries1 and #ij aircraft lost4 7#bg7 ,at the conclusion of the #ah-month ,coastal ,patrol1 the heroic ,,cap aircrews would be credited with-- 7,a7 #b submarines possibly damaged or destroyed2 7,b7 #eg submarines attacked2 7,c7 #hb bombs dropped against submarines2 7,d7 #agc radio reports of submarine positions 7with a number of credited assists for kills made by military units72 7,e7 #ag floating mines reported2 7,f7 #cf dead bodies reported2 7,g7 #ia vessels in distress reported2 7,h7 #cfc survivors in distress reported2 7,i7 #hcf irregularities noted2 7,j7 #a1jcf special investigations at sea or along the coast2 7,k7 #e1fhd convoy missions as aerial escorts for ,navy ships2 7,l7 #hf1fhe total missions flown2 7,m7 #bdd1fjj total flight hours logged2 and 7,n7 more than #bd1jjj1jjj total miles flown4 7#bh7 ,it is believed that at least one high-level ,german ,navy ,officer credited ,,cap as one reason that submarine attacks moved away from the ,united ,states when he concluded that it was because of those damned little red and yellow planes64 7#bi7 ,the ,,cap was dismissed from coastal missions with little thanks in ,august #aidc when the ,navy took over the mission completely and ordered ,,cap to stand down4 7#cj7 ,while the ,coastal ,patrol was ongoing1 ,,cap was also establishing itself as a vital wartime service to the military1 ,states1 and communities nationwide by performing a wide range of missions including1 among others-- 7,a7 border patrol2 7,b7 forest and fire patrols2 7,c7 military courier flights for mail1 repair and replacement parts1 and urgent military deliveries2 7,d7 emergency transportation of military personnel2 7,e7 target towing 7with live ammunition being fired at the targets and seven lives being lost7 and searchlight tracking training missions2 7,f7 missing aircraft and personnel searches2 7,g7 air and ground search and rescue for missing aircraft and personnel2 7,h7 radar and aircraft warning system training flights2 7,i7 aerial inspections of camouflaged military and civilian facilities2 7,j7 aerial inspections of city and town blackout conditions2 7,k7 simulated bombing attacks on cities and facilities to test air defenses and early warning2 7,l7 aerial searches for scrap metal materials2 7,m7 river and lake patrols1 including aerial surveys for ice in the ,great ,lakes2 7,n7 support of war bond drives2 7,o7 management and guard duties at hundreds of airports2 7,p7 support for ,state and local emergencies such as natural and manmade disasters2 7,q7 predator control2 7,r7 rescue of livestock during floods and blizzards2 7,s7 recruiting for the ,army ,air ,force2 7,t7 initial flight screening and orientation flights for potential military recruits2 7,u7 mercy missions1 including the airlift of plasma to central blood banks2 7,v7 nationwide emergency communications services2 and 7,w7 a cadet youth program which provided aviation and military training for tens of thousands4 7#ca7 ,the ,,cap flew more than #ejj1jjj hours on these additional missions1 including-- 7,a7 #bj1ejj missions involving target towing 7with live ammunition7 and gun_/searchlight tracking which resulted in #g deaths1 #e serious injuries1 and the loss of #be aircraft2 7,b7 a courier service involving #c major ,air ,force ,commands over a #b-year period carrying more than #c1ejj1jjj pounds of vital cargo and #edc passengers2 7,c7 southern border patrol flying more than #cj1jjj hours and reporting #g1jjj unusual sightings including a vehicle 7that was apprehended7 with #b enemy agents attempting to enter the country2 7,d7 a week in ,february #aide during which ,,cap units rescued seven missing ,army and ,navy pilots2 and 7,e7 a ,state in which the ,,cap flew #gij hours on forest fire patrol missions and reported #egf fires to authorities during a single year4 7#cb7 ,on ,april #bi1 #aidc1 the ,,cap was transferred to the ,army ,air ,forces1 thus beginning its long association with the ,united ,states ,air ,force4 7#cc7 ,hundreds of ,,cap-trained women pilots joined military women's units including the ,women's ,air ,force ,service ,pilots 7,,wasp7 program4 7#cd7 ,many members of the ,,wasp program joined or rejoined the ,,cap during the post-war period because it provided women opportunities to fly and continue to serve the ,nation that were severely lacking elsewhere4 7#ce7 ,due to the exceptional emphasis on safety1 unit and pilot training and discipline1 and the organization of the ,,cap1 by the end of the war a total of only #fd ,,cap members had died in service and only #aej aircraft had been lost 7including its ,coastal ,patrol losses from early in the war74 7#cf7 ,it is estimated that up to #ajj1jjj civilians 7including youth in its cadet program7 participated in the ,,cap in a wide range of staff and operational positions1 and that ,,cap aircrews flew a total of approximately #gej1jjj hours during the war1 most of which were in their personal aircraft and often at risk to their lives4 7#cg7 ,after the war1 at a ,,cap dinner for ,congress1 a quorum of both ,houses attended with the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,president thanking ,,cap for its service4 7#ch7 ,while air medals were issued for some of those participating in the ,coastal ,patrol1 little other recognition was forthcoming for the myriad of services ,,cap volunteers provided during the war4 7#ci7 ,despite some misguided efforts to end the ,,cap at the end of the war1 the organization had proved its capabilities to the ,nation and strengthened its ties with the ,air ,force and ,congress4 7#dj7 ,in #aidf1 ,congress chartered the ,,cap as a nonprofit1 public service organization and in #aidh made the ,,cap an ,auxiliary of the ,united ,states ,air ,force4 7#da7 ,today1 the ,,cap conducts many of the same missions it performed during ,world ,war ,,ii1 including a vital role in homeland security4 7#db7 ,the ,,cap's wartime service was highly unusual and extraordinary1 due to the unpaid civilian status of its members1 the use of privately owned aircraft and personal funds by many of its members1 the myriad of humanitarian and national missions flown for the ,nation1 and the fact that for #ah months1 during a time of great need for the ,united ,states1 the ,,cap flew combat-related missions in support of military operations off the ,atlantic and ,gulf of ,mexico coasts4 #b4 ,congressional ,gold ,medal 7a7 ,award 7#a7 ,authorized ,the ,president pro tempore of the ,senate and the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives shall make appropriate arrangements for the award1 on behalf of ,congress1 of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the ,world ,war ,,ii members of the ,civil ,air ,patrol collectively1 in recognition of the military service and exemplary record of the ,civil ,air ,patrol during ,world ,war ,,ii4 7#b7 ,design and striking ,for the purposes of the award referred to in paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions1 to be determined by the ,secretary4 7#c7 ,smithsonian institution 7,a7 ,in general ,following the award of the gold medal referred to in paragraph 7#a7 in honor of all of its ,world ,war ,,ii members of the ,civil ,air ,patrol1 the gold medal shall be given to the ,smithsonian ,institution1 where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research4 7,b7 ,sense of congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,smithsonian ,institution should make the gold medal received under this paragraph available for display elsewhere1 particularly at other locations associated with the ,civil ,air ,patrol4 7b7 ,duplicate medals ,under such regulations as the ,secretary may prescribe1 the ,secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under this ,act1 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals1 including labor1 materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and overhead expenses1 and amounts received from the sale of such duplicates shall be deposited in the ,united ,states ,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund4 7c7 ,national medals ,medals struck pursuant to this ,act are national medals for purposes of chapter #ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 ,passed the ,senate ,may #bj1 #bjac4 ,secretary