State Senator Joe Uecker presented a resolution to Colonel Theodore Shaffer, CAP, Ohio Wing Commander in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Ohio Civil Air Patrol.
“As the father of three children in the Air Force, aviation has a special place in my heart,” said Uecker. “The Civil Air Patrol has played an important role in our national security since its early years and continues to do so today.”
In an effort to protect the nation’s coastlines during World War II and perform other critical civil defense missions, the U.S. Civil Air Patrol was established December 1, 1941.
Ohio Wing’s history began in September 1941, when Earle L. Johnson, Director of the Ohio Bureau of Aeronautics, organized Ohio’s civilian pilots into a state wing of the Civil Air Defense Service. Johnson served as the Ohio Civil Air Patrol’s first wing commander.
The Civil Air Patrol is the newest asset of the Air Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with Air Force retired military and civilian employees.