Feb 21, 2016 4 min read

Members of Washington Composite Squadron 601’s Civil Air Patrol recently joined veterans, re-enactors and guests for a wreath-laying ceremony in Fort Indiantown Gap during a weeklong living history event commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

The event is held each year to honor World War II veterans, some of whom had fought in the Battle of the Bulge, a battle known as one of the largest in Europe during the war.

Members of the local unit have assisted in the event for the past several years. CAP Cadet 1st Lt. Raeann Silassy of Canonsburg, who was volunteering for her third year, was among those chosen to escort a WWII veteran during the ceremony.

“It was a great privilege to return to the re-enactment of the Battle of the Bulge,” Silassy said. “Having the opportunity to escort Master Sgt. Jules Desgain at the ceremony was an experience I will remember for a long time.”

Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Noah Wolfe of Venetia, who volunteered for the second year, participated in the ceremony as part of the Civil Air Patrol’s color guard.

“This year’s lineup was amazing. It spanned from infantry divisions to armored divisions, with re-enactors who were courteous and knowledgeable about their units,” Wolfe said. “Overall, this was a great experience.”

For some members, it was a new and enlightening experience.

“The Battle of the Bulge event inspired me,” said 1st Lt. Bernice Polasky of Canonsburg. “I’ve always been proud to live in the USA, but when I had the privilege to meet a 94-year-old participant of the Battle of the Bulge, I became overwhelmed with admiration. Everyone in the room stood up and saluted him, including me. I can only imagine what his eyes saw.

“I am proud to be an American in every sense of the word. Now my eyes have seen and experienced the American spirit.”

For others, like Cadet Senior Airman Joshua Sheppard of Washington, participating in the Battle of the Bulge living history week was a “fun experience that everyone should attend at least once.”

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with retired Air Force military and civilian employees. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search-and-rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 78 lives annually.

Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people participating in the CAP cadet program.

Washington Composite Squadron 601 of the Civil Air Patrol is accepting membership applications for youth 12 to 18 years old and adults.

The unit was founded in 2007, and its primary goal is to serve the Washington community through volunteer service in cadet leadership, air/ground search and rescue, aerospace education, disaster relief and drug demand reduction.

Those who are interested are encouraged to attend a CAP meeting or visit www.pasquadron601.org for more information. The squadron, commanded by Capt. Nancy Parker, meets from 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday at the Washington County Flyers’ Club.

CAP was founded just before the start of the United States’ involvement in World War II. Squadron 601 is one of 1,500-plus squadrons throughout the country involved in cadet programs, emergency services and aerospace education within their communities.