When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
ORIGINAL COL. ROBERT J. SCHAETZL CIVIL AIR PATROL 55-YEAR SERVICE PLAQUE — 1944–1999
Offered here is an original Civil Air Patrol / United States Air Force Auxiliary presentation plaque honoring Col. Robert J. Schaetzl for 55 years of dedicated and exemplary service, spanning June 1944 through June 1999.
This is not simply a generic CAP award. It is a named historical presentation piece associated with a man whose decades of leadership in the Civil Air Patrol and Air Force Association can be independently documented through contemporary historical records.
ABOUT COL. ROBERT J. SCHAETZL
Robert J. Schaetzl’s documented association with the Civil Air Patrol dates to 1944, during the World War II era.
By 1978, contemporary Michigan newspaper coverage described Schaetzl as a 34-year Civil Air Patrol veteran and reported his appointment as Commander of the Michigan Wing, Civil Air Patrol. Period reporting documents earlier CAP responsibilities involving communications, planning and command and identifies him as a rated pilot and recipient of CAP recognition including a Search and Rescue Ribbon and Certificate of Merit.
In 1984, the Canton Observer reported that Col. Schaetzl had reached 40 years of service in the Civil Air Patrol and identified him at that time as commander of CAP Group XVI. This contemporary account independently corroborates the 1944 beginning date appearing on this plaque.
Schaetzl’s involvement in American aviation organizations extended beyond Civil Air Patrol. Period issues of Air Force Magazine identify Robert J. Schaetzl as Michigan State President of the Air Force Association during the mid-1980s.
Contemporary biographical reporting also described Schaetzl as a General Electric territory account manager, reported military service associated with Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and stated that he studied electronics at Pratt Institute of Technology and earned a B.S. in management from Adelphi University.
55 YEARS OF CIVIL AIR PATROL SERVICE
The plaque itself documents the breadth of Schaetzl’s Civil Air Patrol leadership and lists the following positions:
• Chief of Staff, Communications — Northeastern Region
• Deputy Wing Commander — Indiana
• Wing Commander — Michigan
• Commander — Marion County Composite Squadron SER FL-361
The plaque was presented by Marion County Civil Air Patrol Squadron SER FL-361 in June 1999, recognizing service extending from June 1944 to June 1999 — a total of 55 years.
The combination of the original named presentation plaque and surviving contemporary records provides unusually strong provenance for a personalized Civil Air Patrol artifact.
HISTORICAL INTEREST
Schaetzl’s documented career connects this piece to several areas of American aviation history:
• Civil Air Patrol / U.S. Air Force Auxiliary history
• Michigan Wing Civil Air Patrol
• Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol
• CAP Northeastern Region communications leadership
• Marion County, Florida Civil Air Patrol
• Air Force Association leadership
• American military and civilian aviation history
For a collector, the significance of the piece is therefore not simply its age or appearance, but its association with a documented CAP leader whose involvement with the organization extended across more than half a century and multiple senior leadership positions.
ITEM DETAILS
Recipient: Col. Robert J. Schaetzl
Organization: Civil Air Patrol / U.S. Air Force Auxiliary
Service period engraved: June 1944 – June 1999
Service recognized: 55 years
Date presented: 1999
Presenting unit: Marion County Civil Air Patrol Squadron SER FL-361
Type: Named presentation/service plaque
Material: Wood with engraved metal presentation plate and enameled CAP emblem
Original/Reproduction: Original
CONDITION
Original vintage condition with age-related wear. The brass-tone presentation plate exhibits spotting, oxidation/tarnish, scratches and surface wear. The wooden plaque and colorful enameled Civil Air Patrol / USAF Auxiliary emblem display well overall.
The plaque has not been aggressively polished or restored, preserving its existing historical appearance.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
An unusual named piece of Civil Air Patrol history associated with a documented former Michigan Wing Commander, longtime CAP officer and Michigan Air Force Association leader.
