Stinson HW-75, or 105 Voyager airplane. The design was later modified to the L-5 Sentinel for the war. Civil Air Patrol Base, Bar Harbor, Maine. Ground crew making a routine overhaul of a patrol plane at base headquarters of Coastal Patrol #20, June 1943. by Steve Cox Published December 8, 2016 Brave. Heroic. They were the citizen fliers of America’s greatest generation who, propelled by duty, honor and love of country, sacrificed all in defense of America in the earliest, darkest days of World War II. Their story is extraordinary, for these founding members of Civil Air Patrol — more than 1,500 strong — performed the most amazing feats. They hunted Nazi U-boats and chased them from America’s shores. They searched for the lost. They saved lives. They made a profound difference. Inspired by the highest sense of patriotism and pride, these fearless aviators relentlessly flew up and down the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines to protect their homeland. Without the...