Photo by Major Steve Rocketto
The LeMay Flag
It was a grey day in 1976 when a box was unceremoniously dropped off at Connecticut Wing headquarters. Inside that box was all that remained of the recently deactivated General Curtis E. LeMay Cadet Squadron, charter number 06054. To have come so far and fast in 15 years, only to have been reduced to some trophies, a few files and the LeMay Squadron flag. How could a squadron averaging 45 cadets a week fall into disrepair? Three Spaatz Awards, two national unit citations, a dozen cadet private pilots and as many student pilots. It’s star shown bright. The cadets reined supreme, with five heated buildings, WWII Ambulances and jeeps, 37-passenger bus, surplus AF station wagons and sedans, and even a J-3 in the corner of the drill hall. All of this located on our very own island - 15 acres on what used to be a fireworks factory. We were kings and queens while the senior members were considered gods. Life was very good.
The Vietnam War was upon us and squadron members joined the service while public opinion quickly turned anti-military. Once known as the father of the Strategic Air Command, General LeMay’s reputation became tarnished when he joined the presidential ticket of then Governor George Wallace. Ultimately, the island was sold, forcing the squadron to move to lesser quarters. The last of the gods transferred out of state or joined the wing staff.
Fast-forward thirty years. I again find myself wearing a CAP uniform, this time driving cadets to Friday night meetings. Yes, after three decades, I’m back in Civil Air Patrol as a senior member. My 12-year-old son and his friend asked to join and since their favorite group is also Led Zeppelin, how could I say no?
The CT Wing Historian had transferred to our squadron and after sharing a few tall tales about my former life as a cadet, he showed up the following week with an old brown box. Crisply folded in the bottom of the box was the LeMay Squadron flag. It was like seeing a ghost and a flood of emotions and memories returned. Within days, digital pictures of the flag were emailed from coast to coast and talk of a reunion was in the air.
On two weeks notice, almost a dozen former cadets and one senior member made the journey. They came from California, Virginia, and New Hampshire and of course, Connecticut. All agreed that CAP had changed their lives for the better. An attorney, business executives, retired Air Force Colonels, and our former first sergeant, a retired Marine Captain telling stories of his F-4 Phantom flights over Nam back in the day. Yes, we brought the flag with us, marveled at its condition and displayed it proudly. It was the catalyst for pulling us together but the question remained, where did it come from? How did the squadron get its flag? No one, not even a founding senior member could recall.
A few months later, we stumbled across some old CT Wing newsletters. Included in the oldest newsletter was an article reprinted from the LeMay News. A cadet had written the article and who was a friend and a C/SSgt at the time. She expressed her frustration that squadron membership was dwindling with each passing week. Even thirty years later, I could feel her pain and wondered where she was today. After a comprehensive Google search and sending a few emails, it was pretty clear that this was going to remain a cold case.
The following week, our wing commander sent out the minutes of the CAP National Board meeting that listed the Board members. One of the names rang a bell; my friend had once dated another cadet by the same last name. I sent an email and guess what, I got a reply. Yes, it was my old friend, the same cadet, and now a senior member. She had stayed in CAP since joining as a cadet in 1969! She never left the organization but had traveled across the country and overseas with her husband’s military career. I sent her pictures of the impromptu reunion we had held a few months back and received an interesting reply. “I know that flag, I had sewn it for the squadron.” She was 16 years old when she hand-made the flag. The last time she had seen the flag was in 1975.
In October 2009, at the Connecticut Wing Conference held at the University of Connecticut, a special presentation was made. Connecticut Wing Commander Colonel Peter Jenson returned the LeMay Squadron flag back to its rightful owner, former National Capital Wing Commander, Colonel Jane Davies.
Article by Captain Art Dammers
For additional coverage see the NatCAP Wing blog "Above the Capital", "A Connecticut Homecoming"
Kyle Johnson
CTWG Public Affairs
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