Just when we were going to kick back with a scotch and cigar and read William DeGregorio's Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Sen. Jim Honeyford's office sent us a news release on something pretty cool.

In what has become an annual Senate tradition, Sunnyside Sen. Jim Honeyford joined his colleagues in honoring members of the Washington Wing of the Civil Air Patrol with a Senate Resolution Monday. Honeyford, a lieutenant colonel with both the Washington Wing Legislative Squadron and the Yakima Composite Squadron, lauded the Civil Air Patrol's storied history and importance in both wartime and peacetime efforts.

"The Civil Air Patrol was born on December 1, 1941, just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, to help protect the east coast and the southern border of the United States," Honeyford said. "It became an auxiliary of the Army Air Force in 1943, and grew to include a coastal patrol of over 1,000 members, 64 of whom died in service and 26 of whom were lost at sea. For the duration of World War II the Civil Air Patrol flew 24 million miles, identified 173 enemy submarines, attacked 57 of those, hit 10 and sank two."

Senate Resolution 8682 details the Civil Air Patrol's post-war activities, including target-towing operations, courier service for the Army, liaison and cargo flights, border patrol, airborne search and rescue, guarding airfields and training a rapidly growing corps of Civil Air Patrol cadets.

"Each year, we recognize the service of those in the Civil Air Patrol and host a breakfast in their honor here at the state capitol," Honeyford remarked. "This year was no different, and I'm proud to be a part of the 734 senior members and 638 cadets who flew their eleven aircraft 2,304 hours in service to our state."

Honeyford added the Washington Wing was ranked first for hours flown per aircraft above all Wings in the Civil Air Patrol's Pacific Region, which is comprised of Wings from Alaska, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Washington, and Nevada, and the Washington Wing ranked 14th for hours flown per wing out of the 57 Civil Air Patrol units nationwide.