WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today praised Senate passage of legislation they cosponsored that would authorize the award of the Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Civil Air Patrol, whose volunteer efforts aided national security during World War II.

The Senate approved S.309 by unanimous consent, clearing the path for the House of Representatives to consider the bill.  Cochran is the lead Republican cosponsor of the bipartisan bill, which was introduced in March by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).  In addition to Cochran and Wicker, 80 other Senators cosponsored the measure.  The Mississippi Wing of the Civil Air Patrol supports this legislation.

“The American war effort benefited from the voluntary use of civilian aircraft to protect our homeland from our enemies. Brave Mississippians took part in this effort to monitor and protect the Gulf Coast.  The selfless service and sacrifice of the Civil Air Patrol should finally be honored, and I am hopeful the Congress will send this legislation to the President this year,” Cochran said.

“The brave members of the Civil Air Patrol heroically defended our nation during World War II,” said Wicker. “Many of these veterans, who were unpaid volunteers, flew their personal aircraft at their own expense to protect our freedoms. The sacrifices made by these veterans, including many Mississippians, should be honored and recognized with the congressional gold medal award.”

“The passage of this bill means so much to us here in Mississippi, and to CAP nationally as it recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of our members who served in the Civil Air Patrol during WWII,” said Colonel Carlton R. Sumner, Commander of the Mississippi Wing Civil Air Patrol.

Soon after the United States entered the war, the Civil Air Patrol began anti-submarine patrols along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. More than 60,000 members of the Civil Air Patrol logged an estimated 750,000 hours of flight time during the war, reported 173 submarines and located more than 300 survivors of attacks.  Sixty-four members died in service during World War II.

Today, the Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and a nonprofit organization.  Its members perform 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. 

Congressman Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.) has cosponsored companion legislation in the House of Representatives, HR.755.

LINKS:
• Civil Air Patrol: http://bit.ly/119aPSZ
• Mississippi Wing – Civil Air Patrol: http://1.usa.gov/191NeFJ
• Congressional Gold Medal:  http://1.usa.gov/191MVKX

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