The Civil Air Patrol is the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. It was created just days before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and is credited with sinking at least two German U-boats during the War. It was seen as a way to use America's civil aviation resources to aid the war effort, rather than grounding them, as was the case in the United Kingdom. Today, the Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization dedicated to education and national service, including people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. It performs three key missions: Emergency services (including search and rescue), aerospace education for youth and the general public, and cadet programs. The September 11, 2001 attacks demonstrated the importance of the Civil Air Patrol, as it was this organization's aircraft that flew blood to victims of the attack as well as providing the first aerial pictures of the World Trade Center site.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Air_Patrol

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1862: The U.S. Army Medal of Honor was first authorized by the U.S. Congress. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor)

1967: Race riots began in Newark, New Jersey, leading to 27 deaths in four days. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark%2C_New_Jersey)

1975: São Tomé and Príncipe declared independence from Portugal. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe)

1979: The Gilbert Islands gained independence and became known as Kiribati. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati)

1993: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the shore of Hokkaidō?, Japan launched a devastating tsunami, killing 202 on the small island of Okushiri. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -- Bill Cosby (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby)