Civil Air Patrol Heritage Toolbook

Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a voluntary organization and the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. Its members join for reasons of patriotism and a desire to help others. CAP was founded during the increasing US WWII involvement and its history of service during that time is rich. However, a void in CAP history and heritage exists today. Presently, scattered pictures, newspaper articles, and a few video clips complete the CAP heritage library. No single source document or place exists that tells the story from the beginning roots to present-day CAP. Several sources contain bits and pieces, but not everything. The project team contacted both the CAP National Headquarters staff and some of the 53,000 CAP members. During this ToolBook construction, articles in the Civil Air Patrol News introduced CAP members to the ToolBook project and requested assistance from their personal recollections and memorabilia. The Air Force Historical Research Library has an extensive collection of historic CAP documents, categorized and donated by CAP Colonel Lester Hopper. Current CAP activities are well documented, but in disparate locations. The available information is dry and not easily accessible to all. The CAP Heritage ToolBook research team compiled these sources into one comprehensive, user-friendly format, capturing this rich heritage for generations to come. This multi-media presentation integrates video, photographs, and animation to bring the Civil Air Patrol heritage alive!