A Proud History
The Beginning: A True Passion
Captain Ryno "Bud" Jackson
Captain Ryno "Bud" Jackson, CAP (Image on the right) was a proud search and rescue pilot in the former CAP Linden Composite Squadron in the early 1970s. In the mid-1970s, Captain Jackson successfully formed the Plainfield High School Squadron. The Plainfield Squadron now named Capt. "Bud" Jackson Composite Squadron survives today under the able leadership of Captain Jose Vergara.
Captain Jackson's first introduction to Civil Air Patrol started as a young boy in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Growing up in Atlantic City during World War II, young Bud Jackson watched many heroic CAP pilots take off from Bader Field Airport to fly their submarine reconnaissance missions. Bud cultivated friendships with many of CAP pilots, nurturing his dedication for CAP and passion for aviation.
Bud Jackson served as a naval aviator during the post-Korean War era. Most of his missions were classified as reconnaissance missions and he flew his missions in the Navy's long-range twin-propelled P2V Neptune and twin-jet A3D aircraft. These planes were loaded with the latest in electronic eavesdropping equipment. Many of his missions involved flying along the coast of Russia.
After his Navy days, Ryno "Bud" Jackson earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Dr. Jackson became the school psychologist for Plainfield High School in the early 1970s. When not working, Dr. Jackson was always flying to keep his commercial pilot rating skills sharp.
Evolving Through the Years
In the mid-'70s, Dr. Jackson knew that it was time to get his oldest son involved in Civil Air Patrol. Dr. Jackson became Captain "Bud” Jackson, search and rescue pilot for the Linden Composite Squadron. His son, Michael Jackson became a squadron cadet. Cadet Michael Jackson received the chance to fly with many former World War II and Korean-war era pilots from the Linden squadron, which solidified his love for aviation: a passion that drove him to become a private pilot.
Realizing that the Plainfield Squadron had a lot of pilots, fervent to pass on their passion towards aviation to cadets, Dr. Jackson saw the potential for making a great CAP squadron. With the help of many teachers and staff, Captain Jackson was able to form the Plainfield High School CAP Squadron. At that time, the Civil Air Patrol had a full-time curriculum for students. The CAP class was fully accredited taught every day to the cadets. In later years, the Plainfield High School squadron became the CAP Plainfield Composite Squadron, soon becoming an after-school activity. Just as in Captain "Bud" Jackson's day, the Plainfield Squadron continues to make pilots and send cadets to elite colleges and military academies.
At the end of Captain Bud Jackson's life, the Plainfield Squadron was still there to support him. At the time of his death, the Plainfield Composite Squadron's Commander was his son, Captain Michael Jackson. The Plainfield Squadron gave a final honor to Captain Ryno “Bud” Jackson by providing an honor/flag guard at his funeral. From beginning to end, the Civil Air Patrol family has been a part of making Captain Bud Jackson's life rewarding and fun.
Origins of Cap
The origins of Civil Air patrol can be traced back to right after the first World War. The war taught America many things. One of them was the need for quick mobilization. The idea of incorporating civilians into homeland defense suddenly became an option that many viewed to be solid. This idea started in 1936, when an aviator from WWI by the name of Gill Robb Wilson, conceived of this idea from the fear of future war, which seemed inevitable. His plan finally materialized in 1941 when he established the Civil Air Defense Services (CADS)
In Ohio on the other hand, a pilon named Milton Knight organized the Civilian Air Reserve (CAR). Established in 1938, this aviation unit was similar to Wilson's. These aviation units and others such as there eventually merged to form Civil Air Patrol on December 1st, 1941. At the time, the nation commander was Maj. Gen. John F. Curry and this merger occurred under his management. The recruiting and public announcements began on December 8. The CAP national headquarters were officially opened at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.
Evolving Through the Years
Civil Air Patrol started off as a program to aid homeland defense. This goal changed after World War II. Civil Air Patrol started to focus on three other core missions. These were the Cadet Program, Emergency Services, and Aerospace education. During the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, the number of emergency service missions grew and aerospace education advanced.
