
In the late 1930s, more than 150,000 volunteers with a love
for aviation argued for an organization to put their planes and flying skills to use in defense of their country. As
a result, the Civil Air Patrol was born one week prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Thousands of volunteer
members answered America's call to national service and sacrifice by accepting and performing critical wartime missions. Assigned
to the War Department under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps, the contributions of Civil Air Patrol, including logging
more than 500,000 flying hours, sinking two enemy submarines, and saving hundreds of crash victims during World War II, are
well documented. After the war, a thankful nation understood that Civil Air Patrol could continue providing
valuable services to both local and national agencies. On July 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 476
incorporating Civil Air Patrol as a benevolent, nonprofit organization. On May 26, 1948, Congress passed Public Law
557 permanently establishing Civil Air Patrol as the auxiliary of the new U.S. Air Force. Three primary mission areas
were set forth at that time: aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services.
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CAP Mission Statement
“Supporting America’s communities
with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground service, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber
power.”
The Stratford
Eagles grew from a squadron established in Fairfield the 1960s. The unit moved to what was then the Bridgeport
Municipal Airport in 1963. In 1964 the meeting place moved to the Stratford National Guard Armory. In 1968 a new charter was
issued from the National Headquarters which established the Stratford Eagles Composite Squadron. Thanks to the efforts of
Lordship resident Lt Col Morgan Kaolian, CAP, in March of 1972 the Eagles moved to their present location, a World War II
barracks at Sikorsky Memorial Airport adjacent to Stratford Road in Lordship. The Civil Air Patrol's main building is the last
remaining barracks from World War II left in Lordship. At one time, there were barracks on Prospect Drive in eastern Lordship
and on the former Aherns Property on Stratford Road next to the airport. The radio building may have been the gas station
for planes stationed there during the war.

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