Texas State Air Force

Confederate Air Force Adopted: June 14, 1989

The Confederate Air Force, now known as the Commemorative Air Force, was named the official air force of the State of Texas when Governor William Clements signed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 114 on June 14, 1989.

The organization was originally known as the Confederate Air Force. Following a membership vote in 2001 and made effective on January 1, 2002, the organization is now known as the Commemorative Air Force.

("Commemorative Air Force")

S.C.R. 114

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Confederate Air Force, based at Rebel Field, Harlingen, Texas, has for many years brought great honor and credit on the State of Texas; and

WHEREAS, The Confederate Air Force was organized for patriotic, educational, and civic purposes, including that of acquiring, restoring, and preserving in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States and other nations in World War II; and

WHEREAS, Among the other purposes of this great patriotic organization is that of perpetuating in the memory and hearts of all Americans the spirit in which such combat aircraft were flown in the defense of our nation; and

WHEREAS, This organization was first founded in the mid-50s by a group of ex-service pilots in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas when they bought a North American P-51 "Mustang" fighter; since that time the Confederate Air Force has been chartered as a nonprofit corporation by the state and has accumulated, restored to flying condition, and flown for the enjoyment of thousands of persons more than 50 aircraft from the World War II years; and

WHEREAS, The Confederate Air Force is a privately underwritten effort to preserve a little bit of America's history, an era of time which provided the greatest advancement in military aviation technology and an era in time when this nation was united in its effort to maintain freedom and establish peace in the world; and

WHEREAS, The men of the Confederate Air Force are truly Rebels, but only in the sense that they are rebelling against the destruction of the historic aircraft of World War II; and

WHEREAS, While the Confederate Air Force was originally begun and built into an outstanding educational and entertaining organization by men from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, its popularity has become national; due to the increased interest and participation, additional chapters have organized in such places as Galveston and Fort Worth, Texas; Hobbs, New Mexico; and Minneapolis, Minnesota; and

WHEREAS, It is the belief of the Texas Senate and the House of Representatives that the purposes and functions performed by the Confederate Air Force are commendable and are a fine example of the patriotism and support of the United States which all citizens of this great country should have; and

WHEREAS, The Confederate Air Force is an outstanding ambassador of good will and of the pride which all Texans have in our great nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, by the 71st Legislature of the State of Texas, That the Confederate Air Force be and is hereby declared to be the official air force of the State of Texas; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be forwarded to the headquarters as an expression of the appreciation and pride in the organization by the Texas Senate and House of Representatives.

Texas Law

The Confederate Air Force was named the official air force of the State of Texas by Senate Concurrent Resolution and is not, therefore, listed in the Texas Statutes.

Only a small number of Texas' myriad symbols have been actually adopted by an act of the legislature and written into the Texas Statutes.

Sources...

"CAF History." Commemorative Air Force. Commemorative Air Force, 2008. Web. 26 Sep 2011. .

"Bill: SCR 114 Legislative Session: 71(R)." Tennessee Legislature Online. State of Texas, 1989. Web. 26 Sep 2011. .

Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

Commemorative Air Force: Official website of the Texas Commemorative Air Force, formerly the Confederate Air Force.

CONFEDERATE AIR FORCE: Texas State Historical Association: The Handbook of Texas Online.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Texas state symbols.

Ghost Squadron

Ghost Squadron of the Confederate Air Force: Wings of Freedom, Bill Baldwin, Pat Webster, Bill Crump, John Alger, Lloyd Nolen. 99 pages. Publisher: Confederate Air Force (1987) The origins of the Confederate Air Force date back to the purchase of a surplus Curtiss P-40 Warhawk by Lloyd Nolen, a former World War II Army Air Corps flight instructor, in 1951. In 1957, Nolen & four friends purchased a P-51 Mustang, each sharing in the $2,500 cost of the aircraft. With the purchase of this Mustang, known as "Old Red Nose," the group now known as the Confederate Air Force was unofficially founded.

Today, the CAF is comprised of over 11,000 members, several hundred of whom serve as pilots and flight or maintenance crew members committed to preserving World War II American aviation heritage. The CAF is responsible for operating a fleet of more than 140 airplanes known as the Ghost Squadron.

Confederate Air Force
Nigel Moll

Confederate Air Force: Past Perfect, Ready for Action, by Nigel Moll. 128 pages. Publisher: Bookthrift Co; Pristine Condition edition (January 1991).

Roaring Glory Warbirds

Roaring Glory Warbirds, DVD - Dolby, Color, NTSC, Black & White. The first and only series that puts you into the pilot's seat of a World War II fighter to experience the thrill of aerial combat.

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