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Col. Ben Donahue Memorial Scholarship It is with great pleasure that the Society for Aviation History announces that it has formed the Col. Ben Donahue Memorial Scholarship to enhance the educational experiences of aviation-minded youth. Col. Donahue’s record of outstanding service to our country and this organization, as well as his generosity in sharing his love of aviation with the general public serves as the inspiration for a new educational collaboration. Col. Benjamin L. Donahue (Feb. 10, 1918–March 16, 2006) was an Army Air Forces B-24 pilot flying with the 15th Air Force in Italy during World War II. He later served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and subsequently as a California Highway Patrolman for a number of years. Col. Donahue served as vice president of the Northern California Chapter of the American Aviation Historical Society, our predecessor organization, and later as vice president of the Society for Aviation History (SAH). For 2009, the Col. Ben Donahue Memorial Scholarship will sponsor a CAP cadet from the Diablo Composite Squadron 44, which is headquartered at Buchanan Field. The scholarship will provide admission to each of the SAH’s five educational programs for a cadet (beginning with the SAH April 2009 meeting), a write-up in the SAH newsletter Touch & Go about the cadet, and bimonthly newsletters for each of the nine squadrons in the CAP’s California Unit–San Francisco Bay Group 2. Seven counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz) are represented in Group 2. The cadet program is designed to inspire young people between the ages of 13 and 18 to become leaders and dynamic American citizens through an interest in aviation. Through studies and other activities, cadets work their way through a series of\ achievements where they: * Participate in a variety of special activities. * Develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for understanding the impact of aerospace technology upon society. * Learn self-discipline through the study of leadership practices. * Understand and appreciate the moral issues of our time through discussion and debate. In addition, cadets become and remain physically fit through a special physical fitness program. Squadron 44’s cadet program has a history of success: in 1986, it won first place in the National Cadet Competition. It has previously been successful as well, having come in second in 1985 and third in 1982. Each year the Civil Air Patrol flies approximately 70,000 hours with 20,000 hours devoted to emergency services missions. The Society for Aviation History’s past educational meetings have learned aviation history first-hand from such notables as: Bruce Hinds (prototype B-2 pilot), Robert J. Gilliland (SR-71 prototype pilot), Hal Farley (prototype F-117 pilot), Astronaut Dr. Janice Voss, P-38 Lightning Ace Herb Ross, and many, many others (details at the past speakers page ) Anyone wishing to contribute to the Col. Ben Donahue Memorial Scholarship should send a check to the Society for Aviation History at P.O. Box 7081, San Carlos, CA 94070. Please mark your check “Donahue Memorial Scholarship.” For more information on the Diablo Composite Squadron 44 click on the underlined name.
April 4th 2009 The first recipient of this award is Civil Air Patrol Cadet 1st Lt. Daniel Friesen, cadet commander of Diablo Composite Squadron 44, based at Buchanan Field in Concord. Lt. Friesen received admission to the April meeting and a one-year membership. For a complete interview with Lt. Friesen, please see the March 2009 issue of Touch & Go. SOCIETY FOR AVIATION HISTORY P.O.BOX 7081,
San Carlos California 940702, 1-650-631-4207 |
