A new and unique online "museum" is now on the Web to help launch the 65th year of the Civil Air Patrol, born December 1, 1941 to help blunt the early WWII campaign against U.S. shipping with civilian pilots and private airplanes.

In seven history galleries, the Web museum (www.caphistory.org) traces CAP's genesis from WWII Coastal Patrol anti-sub operations through post-war and Cold War to today's civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Of particular interest are personal photos by the "CAP Subchasers" themselves of "everyday life" fighting WWII as civilians.

CAP Coastal Patrol located (and later, bombed) enemy subs for 18 months from 21 bases "from Maine to Mexico." In this and other WWII roles, CAP flew 21 million miles, including single-engine operations up to 50 miles off-shore. Of some 59 CAP aircrew killed during WWII, 26 were lost at sea.

Updating the story, dramatic images in the "CAP Today" Gallery put visitors aboard CAP's mission over the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center. Coordinating post-attack on USAF/CAP frequencies with fighters above, CAP imaged collateral damage and rooftop debris loads for state disaster officials.

An Art and Media Gallery illustrates public fascination with the CAP "Flying Minutemen" in popular culture. An Aircraft Gallery includes WWII civilian planes, CAP's later military hand-me-downs and today's modern CAP aircraft. A Museum Store allows visitors to make a donation and receive a gift of CAP memorabilia by mail.

Other sections offer insights into how CAP conducts 85% of U.S inland air search. Included is the story of NTAP – the first program to use FAA air traffic control radar recordings to retrace the path of a lost aircraft. The procedure was developed by a California CAP officer in cooperation with the FAA.

The Museum is the culmination of two multi-year projects by the CAP Historical Foundation to preserve and promote use of historical photography held by CAP and others. The non-profit educational foundation is independent from, but works in cooperation with, the Civil Air Patrol as its official historical organization.

Many of the web museum's WWII photos are from the collection of a former CAP National Historian, the late Col. Lester Hopper, CAP. Once housed in a shed in Algiers, Louisiana, the photos (and other artifacts) might have been lost to Hurricane Katrina but for CAPHF's program in the 1990s to recover a core of CAP history for archival storage and wider public viewing.

CAPHF has invested some $13,000 to date in the Web Museum; $1,000s more for photo and artifact recovery and preservation, and additional $1,000s for aircraft restoration/display and educational materials. CAPHF is made possible through tax-deductible donations by CAP members, CAP veterans and aviation history fans.

A recent grant by the Civil Air Patrol facilitated completion of the Web Museum this fall for the December start of CAP's 65th year. Friends of CAP can help add to the "virtual museum" as a Museum Patron. The Foundation, chartered in 1997, is the pro bono work of Drew Steketee, an aviation industry public relations executive, working with a board of directors including top national Civil Air Patrol officers. The Foundation has been accepted as an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution. All contributions are tax-deductible.

FMI: www.caphistory.org