National Monument Replica Set Up In BA

KTUL

Dan Phillips

Broken Arrow - Memorial weekend ceremonies continue at Broken Arrow's Floral Haven Cemetery.

The first "Changing of the Guard" ceremony was held Saturday afternoon. Soldiers are guarding a replica tomb of the unknown soldier. The monument and soldiers are similar to the bigger tomb in Washington, D.C.

Director of Community Relations Steve Moeller said the men and women from the Starbase Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol  went to D.C. to learn how the real one is guarded. 

"At the actual tomb, this is exactly what happens there. It's a perfect reenactment," he explained.

The local Patrol took on the replica project back in 1995, and the've been doing it ever since.

"Since so few people get to go to Washington, D.C. and actually see this take place at Arlington, their suggestion was perhaps we can do something related to this," Moeller said.

Visitors to the cemetery have been signing a banner that will be sent to Oklahoma National Guard troops stationed overseas. The Blue Star Mothers organization is also collecting "Freedom Boxes", containing toiletries and comfort-food items, which will be sent along with the banner.

The banner is available to be signed and boxes can be left at the cemetery through Memorial Day.

For more information on what goes in a "Freedom Box", visit the Blue Star Mothers Web site through this link. 

Floral Haven's Memorial Day activities conclude with the Retiring of the Colors event at 5:00 p.m.

Civil Air Patrol assists Warbirds over Oklahoma Model Airshow

Written by SM Rick Rutledge

Sunday, 16 May 2010 13:27

EL RENO-- Civil Air Patrol members from both Edmond and Oklahoma City Composite Squadrons gathered Saturday May 15th at the El Reno Regional Airport in El Reno, Oklahoma for the 2nd Annual Warbirds Over Oklahoma model airshow and exhibition. More than 100 model aiplanes, crews and pilots arrived to a less than 500 foot ceiling and dense fog, but by 10am the weather had improved, the attendee’s spirits had lifted and the model airplanes dotted the skies over western Oklahoma. In addition to the airshow the airport's hangar 1 was utilized by the Model Aircraft Association for a model airplane simulator, the United States Air Force's F-22 Engine cutaway as well as a variety of other activities. The Civil Air Patrol cadets participated in a variety of duties including flightline security, air traffic advisory and they acted as set-up crew for the attendees. This was the second year for the Civil Air Patrol to be involved in this event; Warbirds Over Oklahoma Show Director Steve Kessey said "The event volunteers for Warbirds Over Oklahoma 2011 really appreciate the Civil Air Patrol's eagerness to come out and assist us for this big event. Their training and ability to perform tasks that we need done truly do serve a big role in Warbirds Over Oklahoma. My experience working with the young men and women of the CAP give me pride in the future of our Country." Mr. Kessey went on to say "The vital roles the Cadets played during this event with gate security, crowd control, and spotting for full scale (manned aircraft) helped with the event's success, not only in safety, but professionalism. I will always request their assistance during this event." The event drew close to 1,000 spectators over two days to the El Reno Regional Airport.

The Drillmaster

Capt. Ed O’Brien
Heritage Project Officer
Colorado Wing

Research: Lt. Col. Mark Hess, Georgia Wing
As told by: Bart Altschuh, former CAP cadet and Queens squadron drillmaster

Bart Altschuh was a New York Wing cadet and squadron drillmaster in 1962 in Queens. ’62 was Civil Rights and Kennedy. Russian missiles came and left Cuba; John Glenn orbited; Vietnam fired up -- a streak of events that produced the epochal decade. .. the ’60s.

This story is about a Civil Air Patrol drill team and one young man. But most of all it’s about life learned on an armory drill pad, one step at time.

The following are Bart’s words. I think it best to just listen while he talks. He tells it right because he lived it. His saga starts at the Fulton Armory in Queens.

At drill team meetings, we were of a purpose. We were volunteers of volunteers. We were of love. We took in and joined with any comers, and taught them our snappy ways.

Clumsy? Not a problem. “Smith, take Franz over there and show him how to do a facing movement.” Then Smith or whomever would work with Franz, for an hour or whatever it took, with love and patience until our newcomer was ready.

We practiced and perfected every single aspect of basic drill. In our hearts we knew that the Manhattan and Bronx teams looked down at us. Called us “farmers.”

I’d seen them, on occasion. There was something special to their style. It was extra-light-flavor precision. We were, by comparison, a little heavy-footed. We were tap. They were ballet. They floated, they drifted, but perfectly. We were as one. They were, apparently, truly one.

Us? We had the mix. We were not much demographically dominated by any one particular racial minority. This mix appeared in our team philosophy, not just ethnically. Variety was our strength.

Regulations stated that the teams were to be sized in placement. Other teams took this to mean “tall guys in front or tall guys in back.” Us? We put short guys in the middle. The effect was like looking at a set of Wurlitzer organ pipes.

In short, we were different. We were ... just us. All we wanted and loved was to march together.

Then one year, the year I was drillmaster, we did. In 1962, Queens beat everyone. We were the New York Wing champions. The precision of Bronx and Manhattan turned out to be fragile as thin glass.

First of all, we had a system, unlike Bronx and Manhattan where the drillmaster position was held out as an object of competition and was not awarded until the last moment. On our team, the drillmaster was selected early and practiced with the team as drillmaster throughout the year.

This did a couple of things for us. For one, as drillmaster I got used to working with the team and they got used to working with me. At first, when I felt like giving a command, I just let her rip. Some would respond, some would not ... our first parade was a disaster. The object, of course, was to perform as a team, not to trick people, even accidentally.

So I learned, like the previous drillmaster, to talk to the team first. “At the coming corner, we’ll do a column right ... everybody ready?” etc. It was the democratic way, not the hazing principle. It was love, teamwork, cooperation.

Let me say something about ethnicity. As indicated, we had a broad mix. There was no predominance of any one group or neighborhood or religion. For the most part, we did not know each other’s particulars. The fact is, we were all different as individuals, and we all absolutely and unequivocally loved each other.

We were, without knowing it, the real deal.

That trick we had of taking outliers aside and showing them the ropes? We carried it over into all we did. In the Flushing Armory, there is a balcony. We used to practice the basic routine, of course, but we’d take members and send them up to the balcony, one at a time, to watch as we performed the competition routine. In the middle of an oblique, I’d call a halt, and not only could we see who was out of line, but so could the person in the balcony. From the balcony, the big picture was all the more clear.

Obliques, the diagonal movement between left and right flank, wherein the entire team must shift -- not at a right angle, but a 45-degree angle -- are the bane of many a precision-marching endeavor. The left and right oblique are part of the required basic drill to be performed at every competition.

And so it went throughout the year. Squadron on Friday, drill team on Sunday. We marched from about noon to about five. There were parades sometimes. There was great fun always.

In the end, the state competition was held that year at the Whitestone Armory, not so much unlike the Flushing Armory. Complete with balcony.

Bronx picked their drillmaster at the last minute and we heard that the Manhattan team did not like theirs. At Queens, there was no question of liking or not liking me as drillmaster. To most team members, I was “Bart.” At squadron meetings, many team members outranked me. I was not even a cadet officer, which was a source of derision and bemusement to our elite inner-city brethren.

We shaved up, lowered ourselves into our starched competition uniforms, peeled away the stockings that protected the spit-shine luster on our shoes, attached the slingshots -- elastic with garter snaps running from shirt to sock tops, which held our shirt tails down — inside our pants.

Bronx and Manhattan performed beautifully. There was no denying the perfection of their movements. It was like ballet; they were true artists. You could detect a certain fatigue there, though. It was almost like they were saying, “Give us what we’ve earned so we can be out of here.”

But Queens? As drillmaster, it was my job to march out first, to salute the judges and say, “Sir, I have the honor to present the Queens Group Drill Team.” Our epaulette decoration was a squared blue letter “Q” with an eagle coming through, talons outstretched.

Our guidon (flag) bearer was Blackwell. Blackwell had the distinction of being guidon bearer because he wanted to. His posture was a thing to behold, if not emulate. He, like the rest of the team, was perfect ... due to aspiration and love.

I think Blackwell’s family was from the West Indies. I know that his skin was very dark, and I was shocked when he told me he wanted to become a photographer later in life. No one else I ever knew professed such an aspiration. To me, it was like saying, “I want to be a butterfly collector.” I mean ... what’s that?

When I went to his house once to visit, he chastised me because I’d been warned not to come over. His parents did not approve of me. I was not allowed in.

But at drill team meetings, Blackwell — like Elston, Lindholm, Boremski, Serbent, Cattenacio, Wolfe, Horowitz, Franz, Davis, Zeller, Moran, Hernandez, Mojica, on and on, even Altschuh — there we were, for those hours, one.

And on that June day in 1962, in the middle of the New York Wing Drill Team Competition, when we knew the obliques were coming up, I called out, “Right Oblique!” The team shifted, easily, precisely, perfectly, in our pipe organ whoopsy-daisy lineup. We marched, lightly, rightly, as if — and it was — heaven. No deviation waver or stutter. Absolutely perfect guide and cover. We did as we were supposed to do and as we loved.

The love, the love. You could hear — not a gasp, but a collective intake of breath from the crowds, the judges. And yes, the other teams, Manhattan and the Bronx, standing around as spectators.

In that moment, in that way, and forever ... we won.

My life turned. Almost immediately, I went into the Air Force, based on the AQE score I’d taken at age 13. Yes, from there, my life turned. In the near-final analysis, which this may be, it turned for the better.

I was very happy to be asked if I would like to join the Civil Air Patrol. There was nothing nicer, in my opinion, for the kids of New York, than CAP in the early ’60’s.

I learned true love there.


At 17 Bart took an Air Force hitch. He worked in a warehouse, shuffling parts and paperwork and, quite slowly, became clinically blind.

By 1967, a combination of macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa took his sight and sent his life in another direction.

Along the way Bart changed his name, became an author and now writes under the nom de plume “Jesse Miller.” He lives in West Virginia with his wife.

To function as a professional writer while blind is not unknown, but it is quite rare. To achieve Bart’s level of craftsmanship is exceptional. To be happy with life, no matter the troubles ... now we are talking incandescence.

In CAP we teach life skills that serve for as long as we live. Bart is perhaps the perfect example. Living life fully, no matter the calamity or obstacles, “that’s the drill.” Bart should know. After all, he’s the drillmaster!

Jesse Miller’s (Bart’s) stories can be sampled online.    

Oklahoma families, airmen saluted as heroes | NewsOK.com

Thanks to our members that participated last weekend, see the news coverage below.

Oklahoma families, airmen saluted as heroes | NewsOK.com

Wreath ceremony pays homage to Oklahoma's fallen

American troops were honored at more than 400 sites nationwide

BY DARLA SLIPKE/NewsOK
Published: December 13, 2009

A small group gathered for an hour Saturday morning at the Oklahoma Veterans Cemetery to honor those who died serving in the military.

An American flag flapped in the wind overhead as people bowed their heads for a moment of silence before a wreath-laying ceremony.

The event, sponsored by the Oklahoma Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and the Oklahoma Society Daughters of the American Revolution, was part of Wreaths Across America, a national effort to remember those who died, honor those who serve and teach the value of freedom.

Similar wreath-laying ceremonies took place at veterans cemeteries and memorials throughout the country Saturday.

Representatives from different branches of the military and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution laid seven wreaths inside the entrance of the Oklahoma Veterans Cemetery, 2312 NE 36.

They carried one wreath for each branch of the military and one for prisoners of war and soldiers who went missing in action.

A group from the Civil Air Patrol watched in a formation facing the cemetery. Afterward, everyone helped lay wreaths at each grave.

The Civil Air Patrol is the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

Dan Arnold and his 13-year-old son, Patrick, who are both members of the Oklahoma Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, took time to read the soldiers’ names and information.

"It’s appropriate to honor them, especially at Christmas,” Arnold said. "We get so caught up in buying things and doing things that we forget those who went before us.”

The ceremony was a fitting tribute to veterans who gave so much, said Col. Robert Castle, commander of the Oklahoma Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

Castle has participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at Oklahoma Veterans Cemetery for the last three years. He said walking through the cemetery and reading the people’s names is a humbling experience.

"It makes it a little more meaningful when you come out and see the tombstone and realize all that person gave,” Castle said.

Read the story on NewsOK: http://www.newsok.com/wreath-ceremony-pays-homage-to-oklahomas-fallen/article/3424770?custom_click=lead_story_title#ixzz0ZhdjCPQ7

Meeting Cancelled

The CAP meeting on 24 November as been cancelled due to the holiday.

See everyone 1 December, have a great and safe Thanksgiving!

Jordan Edmund, 1st Lt, CAP
Commander | Oklahoma City Composite Squadron

Elliot Receives Mitchell Award

OKLAHOMA CITY COMPOSITE SQUADRON

CIVIL AIR PATROL OKLAHOMA WING

U.S. AIR FORCE AUXILIARY

5701 Air Guard Drive, Box 66

Oklahoma City, OK 73179-1008

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October, 29 2009   

Contact: Tyler Nikkel

(405) 651-5757

Oklahoma City Composite Squadron member Adison Elliot receives Mitchell Award

The Civil Air Patrol has presented Oklahoma City Composite Squadron member Adison Elliot with the coveted Mitchell Award. This award was established in the memory of General Billy Mitchell who is hailed as the most influential figure in military airpower history. The presentation of the Mitchell Award represents excellence, on behalf of Adison Elliot, in the areas of leadership, maturity, fitness, and academic strength as exhibited through Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Oklahoma Wing Commander, Colonel Bob Castle conferred the award.

Elliot joined CAP's Oklahoma City Composite Squadron two years ago. A desire to become a flight officer in the Air Force is what initially led Elliot to the Civil Air Patrol. While researching online how to prepare for the Air Force Academy Elliot discovered that CAP offers valuable training for the armed forces and aeronautics.  By setting specific short term and long term goals he has achieved numerous accomplishments. One the greatest being he soloed an aircraft through the National Flight Academy; an endeavor held in high regard by the entire aviation community. He also completed CAP encampment and was awarded the Encampment Ribbon. Furthermore, Elliot's leadership training and ability has helped him earn the rank of Second Lieutenant in his squadron. Elliot's next goal within Civil Air Patrol is to earn the Amelia Earhart Award. Beyond CAP his sights are focused on the Air Force Academy and becoming an officer and pilot in the military.

Alongside Elliot's involvement in Civil Air Patrol he is a junior at Bethany High School and enjoys a variety of extracurricular activities. Elliot has played the piano for 6 years and is proficient with the saxophone. He is also involved in the Bethany Marching Band and enjoys applying the discipline he has learned in CAP to his work with the band. Aside from music, Elliot is a committed debate member of the Bethany Mask and Gavel Club.

High moral character, leadership, a volunteer spirit, and maturity are the qualities that Elliot has displayed throughout his service in the Oklahoma City Composite Squadron. These are the same qualities Elliot plans to uphold in his future service as an Officer in the military. Therefore, the Oklahoma City Composite Squadron is proud to honor Elliot and thankful to have such a high caliber cadet as part of their squadron.

Picture: OK Wing Commander, Col. Castle (left) and 1Lt. Jordan Edmund (right) present the Mitchell Award to Adison Elliot.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 57,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 90 lives in fiscal year 2008. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 22,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 67 years. For more information, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com.

Civil Air Patrol's local unit, Oklahoma City Composite Squadron, meets every Tuesday night night from 6:30 - 9:00pm at the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base. The Oklahoma City Composite Squadron membership is comprised of cadets ages 12-18 and adults over 18.　 For more information about Civil Air Patrol in the Oklahoma City Area, phone (405) 830-1750 or visit http://www.ok113.org .

###