Sun, Aug 22, 2010
CAP Hall Of Honor Inductee Led The Organization From 1976 To
1979
Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Casaday(pictured) of Birmingham, AL,
Civil Air Patrol's national commander in the late 1970s and a 1980
inductee into the CAP Hall of Honor, died August 16th at the age of
92.
"He was one fine man," said Brig. Gen. Johnnie Boyd, CAP's national
vice commander in 1978 during Casaday's tenure as national
commander. "I am saddened to hear of his passing."
At the time of his death, Casaday was a Lifetime Member of CAP.
Medically discharged from the U.S. Army in 1946, he joined the
organization in 1948 and began a distinguished career with the U.S.
Air Force auxiliary, serving in various leadership positions within
CAP's Alabama Wing, including wing commander. In 1971, he was
appointed Southeast Region commander and served in that position
until 1973, when he was elected vice chairman of the National
Board. He was elected national commander in September 1976 during
CAP's annual conference in Philadelphia.
He served as CAP's national commander for three years, through
September 1979, and was succeeded by Boyd. During Casaday's tenure,
he worked to improve training for the organization's senior
members. In his last "Civil Air Patrol News" column as national
commander, he said, "One of the things that has been most
gratifying to me has been our progressive development of a career
training program that will help increase overall professionalism
and job knowledge of our senior members."
One year later, in 1980, he was inducted into the CAP Hall of
Honor. A bronze plaque bearing his likeness was dedicated and put
on exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. To date, only 33
CAP volunteers have been inducted into the Hall of Honor.
"Tom was a good leader," said Boyd. "He was a lot of fun, a
jolly guy, but he took CAP very seriously."
Boyd said Casaday led "through his example." He cited Casaday's
insistence that senior members only wear their uniform to
appropriate venues. "He would say, 'Don't wear it anywhere you
wouldn't take your wife.' "
Casaday is survived by his wife of 66 years, Olive Elmore
Casaday.
In addition to his induction into the CAP Hall of Honor, Casaday
was inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame at the Southern
Museum of Flight in Birmingham, where he was specially recognized
for his contributions to aerospace education. He later served as
president of the Alabama Aero Club and of the Southern Museum of
Flight. He was a lifetime member of the Daedalians, a fraternity of
military pilots, and a member of the organization's "Founders
Flight" at Maxwell AFB, AL.
Among his other CAP decorations and awards were the CAP
Distinguished Service Medal, Exceptional Service Medal, Meritorious
Service Award, the Search and Rescue Service Ribbon, the Rescue
"Find" Ribbon and the Frank G. Brewer Sr. Civil Air Patrol Memorial
Aerospace Award.
Before joining CAP, Casaday served with the Army Air Corps from
1942 to 1946 as a B-24 pilot and flight control officer with the
2nd Air Force Training Command. A veteran multi-engine rated pilot
with more than 2,500 flying hours, he used his own Cessna Skylane
182 for CAP search and rescue missions and other humanitarian
operations.
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