2024 Congressional Gold Medal

Members of South Dakota Wing, CAP were honored to present a Congressional Gold Medal to the family of Dorothy Lu Johnston, who served in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Corp during World War II.

Congress, in 2014, approved the Congressional Gold Medal to the wartime members of Civil Air Patrol in honor of their roles in carrying out other vital wartime domestic missions.

Johnston died in 2022 and her family members were surprised to discover World War II uniforms in her effects, because she had never spoken of her time in CAP. The CAP national history staff confirmed that she had been a wartime member, joining at age 16 and serving in Columbus, Nebraska. She later married Jesse Brinkman, a U.S. Navy survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Together they raised four children, one son and three daughters, two of whom, Betty Bailey and Laura Mai, were present for the ceremony.

Bailey now lives in Rapid City, giving South Dakota Wing the duty and honor of presenting the posthumous medal. The ceremony was held July 24 at South Dakota Wing Headquarters, followed by a reception.

"The stories of CAP's East Coast patrols for German submarines are often told in CAP," Col. Michael Marek, South Dakota Wing commander, told the sisters. "But here in the Midwest, wartime CAP members also provided vital service, including as couriers for official document pouches among many communities where military flight instruction was taking place and serving as a face of the war effort in their communities."

Bailey and Mai requested a low-key ceremony to honor their mother.

"It was an honor to help these sisters discover an unknown part of their mother's life and enlighten them on the history of CAP," said Maj. Karla West, South Dakota Wing Historian, who planned and coordinated the ceremony. "It is always fun to share history with families and make sure the amazing stories of these men and women are never forgotten."