History of the Patch

	MN-017 North Hennepin Composite Squadron Version 1, c.1984 ("Auxiliary" misspelled on all known copies)

I was in North Hennepin Composite Squadron from 1983-1986 as a cadet (ages 13-16) and went as high in rank as the Billy Mitchell award (which gave me E-2 when I joined the Army Reserve at 17). I was so surprised this morning when I saw this patch on your website (which I found while googling CAP...on a whim: I havent even thought about CAP in 20 years!). I am holding in my hand the same exact patch. You see, I "was there" when this patch came about.

Anyway, a cadet of our squadron who joined with his girlfriend, and was only with us for a short time (I'm very sorry, but his name is lost to history) had his mom(!) make about 20 of these patches at her work. I believe he was inspired by seeing other squdrons in our Wing who had their own patches, but our Squadron, the first composite squadron in CAP history, didn't have one. He handed them out for free, I believe, to all the cadets at the squadron. By the next Tuesday, we were all wearing them. This patch was made, as I recall, just before the summer of 1984 (because I was wearing it proudly in photos that I have of the Wing Encampment to Grand Forks Air Force Base that summer).

So it dates from 1984. Only us cadets wore it, not seniors, and I don't think we were given any special "permission" to put it on, nor was I ever told that it was authorized, but we all wore it anyway. I think it went out of use on the cadet uniform at our Squadron after I left CAP because there were only a limited number made. So that's the story... A rare collector's item indeed!

Information provided by:
Mark Lovmo, former cadet
North Hennepin Composite Squadron
August 08, 2007

(Ace's Note: Lt Col Dick Johnson, a squadron member since 1967, doesn't even recall this patch having ever being used!)