CAF RELEASES FOUR POSSIBLE NEW NAMES FOR ORGANIZATION

Midland, Texas (Aug. 3, 2001) - On Oct. 5, 2001, members of the Confederate Air Force (CAF) will vote on a new name for the organization. The names, which were approved by the board of directors (General Staff), are Heritage Flying Museum, Ghost Squadron, Heritage Air Force and Commemorative Air Force.

CAF members and nonmembers submitted more than 1,000 names to a CAF committee for consideration. The name change is the result of an October 2000 vote whereby members voted four to one to rename the organization.

Criteria used to evaluate each prospective name included the following: the name captures the distilled essence of the CAF's mission, the name is universally appealing, and the name is envisioned as long lasting.

Members will have the option to vote for the new name of the organization at the General Membership Meeting Oct. 5, 2001, at CAF Headquarters, or by absentee ballot. Results from the vote will not be released until Dec. 7, 2001. The new name will take effect Jan. 1, 2002.

The possibility of changing the name of the organization was first discussed in July 1999 at the CAF Summer Advisory Board Conference and again at the Wing Staff Conference in February 2000. Many members were of the opinion that the current name of the organization did not accurately reflect the primary objectives of the organization which are: 1) to restore, maintain, and fly World War II aircraft; 2) to maintain museum facilities for aircraft as a tribute to the thousands of men and women who built, serviced, and flew the planes; and 3) to perpetuate in the memory and the hearts of all Americans, the spirit in which these great planes were flown in the defense of this nation.

The CAF is comprised of over 10,000 members and is responsible for operating a fleet of more than 140 airplanes. The organization has retained the name Confederate Air Force since its inception in 1957.

For more information concerning the upcoming name change of the CAF or historical information about the organization, please contact Tina Corbett at (432) 563-1000 or visit www.confederateairforce.org.

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