Illinois Wing Commanders

Lt Col Logan A. Vilas - 1 Dec 1941 to 28 Apr 1942 Maj Herman Lacey - 28 Apr 1942 to 20 May 1942 Maj James R. Graham - 20 May 1942 to 4 Aug 1942 Maj Robert K. Belt - 4 Aug 1942 to 1 Mar 1943 Lt Col C. W. H. Schuck - 1 Mar 1943 to 26 May 1945 Col Gordon A. DaCosta - 26 May 1945 to 19 Apr 1949 Col Charles Richardson - 19 Apr 1949 to 2 Jul 1951 Col Herman E. Lacey - 2 Jul 1951 to 16 Jan 1952 Col Henry J. Beutel - 16 Jan 1952 to 1 Jul 1953 Lt Col Ronald C. Dreyfus (Interim) - 1 Jul 1953 to 17 Sep 1954 Col E. Mortimer Gherman - 17 Sep 1954 to 23 Aug 1958 Col James J. Mitchell - 23 Aug 1958 to 28 Sep 1961 Col Ralph M. Shangraw - 28 Sep 1961 to 26 Sep 1964 Col Leonard A. Brodsky - 27 Sep 1964 to 14 Dec 1968 Lt Col Henry F. Zey - 14 Dec 1968 to 1 Jul 1969 Col Arthur P. Schneider - 1 Jul 1969 to 1 Oct 1971 Col Leonard A. Brodsky - 1 Oct 1971 to 24 Mar 1973 Col Arthur P. Schneider - 24 Mar 1973 to 16 Mar 1974 Col Robert H. Wilson - 26 Mar 1974 to 31 Dec 1976 Col Albert G. Nicholson - 1 Jan 1977 to 15 Jan 1979 Col Donald I. Reed - 15 Jan 1979 to 15 Jan 1983 Col Melchior S. Kristmann - 15 Jan 1983 to 22 Jan 1986 Col Lawrence F. Lis - 22 Jan 1986 to 20 Feb 1991 Col Stephen W. Peters - 20 Feb 1991 to 24 Sep 1994 Col Ronald W. Westholm - 24 Sep 1994 to 1 Mar 1998 Col Joseph S. King, Jr, - 1 Mar 1998 to 31 May 1998 Col Ronald W. Westholm - 31 May 1998 to 24 Sep 1998 Col Joseph S. King, Jr, - 24 Sep 1998 to 1 Dec 2001 Col Robert M. Karton - 1 Dec 2001 to 16 Mar 2002 Col Jay R. Burrell - 16 Mar 2002 to 12 Mar 2005 Col Maurice Givens - 12 Mar 2005 to 2008 Col Gordon A. Larson - 2008 to 21 Jan 2012 Col Rick L. Oeth - 21 Jan 2012 to Present

Archival Confirmation:
26 Nov 41 From CAA Pilot files, Logan Archbold Vilas (Jack) 9 Dec 41 Telegram from "Jack" Vilas accepting aptmt. 17 Dec 41 Jack Vilas, Sr., was Comdr. (AAF Hist. Studies, No. 19)

1 May 42 CAP Bulletin No. 14. Jack Vilas, Illinois Wing Commander, is now in Washington as National Executive Officer in place of Earle L. Johnson, National Commander. Herman E. Lacey is Acting Commander of the Illinois Wing. 1 Aug 42 PO 5. Robert K. Belt, Acting Wing Commander, to Capt, 4 Aug 42 5 Mar 43 CAP Bulletin Vol. II, No. 10. Robert Belt was Comdr. Dec 43 Skyways Magazine. Maj. C. W. H. Schuck was Comdr. 5 Jan 44 Roster. Maj. C. W. H. Schuck was Comdr. 20 Jun 44 Temp. Duty Orders. Maj. C. W. H. Schuck was Comdr. 3 Jul 45 Roster. Lt. Col. Gordon A. DaCosta was Comdr. 1 Aug 45 Signature on certificate. Gordon A. DaCosta was Comdr. 29 Dec 45 Nat. Hq. list gives Logan A. (Jack) Vilas as Comdr. 12/1/41 to 4/28/42, Herman Lacey as Comdr. 4/28/42 to 5/20/42, James R. Graham as Comdr. 5/20/42 to 8/4/42, Maj. Robert K. Belt as Comdr. 8/4/42 to 3/1/43, Lt. Col. Charles W. H. Schuck as Comdr, 3/1/43 to 5/26/45, and Lt. Col. Gordon A. DaCosta as Comdr. from 5/26/43 to date 10 Jan 46 Wing Comdrs.' Conf. Lt. Col. C. W. H. Schuck, Past Wing Comdr. 15 May 46 Committee List. Lt. Col. Gordon A. DaCosta was Comdr. 12 Oct 48 CAP Board Minutes. Col. Gordon A. DaCosta was Comdr. 10 May 49 NB Minutes. Lt. Col. C. Richardson was Comdr. 24 Oct 50 NB Minutes. Col. Charles Richardson, Jr., was Comdr. 28 Sep 51 NEB Minutes. Approved aptmt. of Col. Herman E. Lacey as Comdr. vice Col. Charles Richardson relieved 16 Jan 52 NEB Minutes. Ratified Lt Col Henry J. Beutel to Col; vice Col Herman E. Lacey 9 Jul 53 Weekly Bulletin 24. Lt Col Ronald C. Dreyfus; vice Col Henry J. Beutel relieved 15 Oct 53 Weekly Bulletin 38. Lt. Col. Ronald C. Dreyfus aptd. Comdr. 7 Jan 54 Weekly Bulletin 1. Ronald C. Dreyfus to Col. 13 Sep 54 NEB Minutes E. Mortimer Gherman to Lt Col; vice Col Ronald C. Dreyfus relieved 26 May 55 NEB Minutes. E. Mortimer Gherman to Col. & Comdr. 4 May 58 NB Minutes. Col. E. Mortimer Gherman was Comdr. 8 Nov 58 NEB Minutes. James J. Mitchell to Temp. Col. & Act. Comdr. eff 23 Aug 58 26 Apr 59 NEB Minutes. James J. Mitchell to Col. & Comdr. 5 May 61 NB Minutes. Col. James J. Mitchell was Comdr. 2 Oct 61 PANHQ 65. Lt. Col. Ralph M. Shangraw aptd Act. Comdr. & to Temp. Col. vice Col. James J. Mitchell, eff 28 Sep 61 30 Mar 62 NEB Minutes. Temp. Col. Ralph M. Shangraw to Col. & Comdr. 5 Apr 62 PANHQ 17. Ralph M. Shangraw to Comdr, 28 Sep 61, Col, 30 Mar 62 12 Oct 63 NB Minutes. Col. Ralph M. Shangraw was Comdr. 30 Oct 64 NB Minutes. Lt. Col. Leonard A. Brodsky was Int. Comdr. 7 Dec 64 PANHQ 106. Col. Leonard A. Brodsky to Col. eff 5 Dec 64 Dec 66 25th Anniversary Program, Illinois Wing: Lt. Col. Logan A. (Jack) Vilas 1 Dec 41 - Apr 42 Herman Lacy Apr 42 - May 42 James R. Graham May 42 - Aug 42 Maj. Robert K. Belt Aug 42 - Mar 43 Lt. Col. C. W. H. Schuck Mar 43 - May 45 Col. Gordon DaCosta May 45 - Apr 49 Col. Charles Richardson, Jr. Apr 49 - Jul 51

Col. Herman E. Lacy Jul 51 - Jan 52 Col. Henry J. Beutel Jan 52 - Jul 53 Col Ronald C. Dreyfus Jul 53 - Sep 54 Col. E. M. Gherman Sep 54 - Aug 58 Col James E. Mitchell Aug 58 - Sep 61 Col. Ralph M. Shangraw Sep 61 - Sep 64 Col. Leonard A. Brodsky Sep 64 to present. 18 Oct 68 NB Minutes. Col. Leonard A. Brodsky was Comdr. 14 Dec 68 PANHQ 42. Lt. Col. Henry F. Zey aptd. Int. Comdr. eff 14 Dec 68 27 Jun 69 PANHQ 27. Lt. Col. Arthur P. Schneider aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Lt. Col. Henry F. Zey relieved eff 1 Jul 69 8 Dec 69 PANHQ 56. Arthur P. Schneider to Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 6 Dec 69 28 Sep 71 PANHQ 44. Col. Leonard A. Brodsky aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Arthur P. Schneider relieved eff 1 Oct 71 20 Mar 72 PANHQ 9. Leonard A. Brodsky to Perm. Comdr. eff 18 Mar 72 26 Mar 73 PANHQ 11. Col. Arthur P. Schneider aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Leonard A. Brodsky reassigned eff 24 Mar 73 16 Mar 74 PANHQ 11. Lt. Col. Robert H. Wilson aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Arthur P. Schneider replaced eff 16 Mar 74 16 Dec 74 PANHQ 35. Robert H. Wilson to Temp. Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 14 Dec 74 15 Dec 75 PANHQ 26. Robert H. Wilson to Perm. Col. eff 13 Dec 75 30 Dec 76 PANHQ 44. Lt. Col. Albert G. Nicholson aptd. Int. Comdr. eff 1 Jan 77 1 Jul 77 PANHQ 10. Albert G. Nicholson to Temp. Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 1 Jul 77 30 Jun 78 PANHQ 26. Albert G. Nicholson to Perm. Col. eff 1 Jul 78 16 Jan 79 PANHQ 3. Lt. Col. Donald I. Reed aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Albert G. Nicholson reassigned eff 15 Jan 79 2 Jul 79 PANHQ 19. Donald I. Reed to Temp. Col. & Comdr. eff 15 Jul 79 30 Jun 80 PANHQ 20. Donald I. Reed to Perm. Col. eff 15 Jul 80 10 Jan 83 PANHQ 1. Lt. Col. Melchior S. Kristmann aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Donald I. Reed reassigned eff 15 Jan 83 1 Jul 83 PANHQ 19. Mel S. Kristmann to Temp. Col. & Comdr. eff 15 Jul 83 2 Jul 84 PANHQ 35. Mel S. Kristmann to Perm. Col. eff 15 Jul 84 10 Jan 86 PANHQ 3. Lt. Col. Lawrence F. Lis aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. M. S. Kristmann eff 22 Jan 86 1 Jul 86 PANHQ 29. Lawrence F. Lis to Comdr. & Temp. Col. eff 22 Jul 86 1 Jul 87 PANHQ 29. Lawrence F. Lis to Perm. Col. eff 22 Jul 87 31 Dec 90 PANHQ 78. Col. Lawrence F. Lis reaptd. Comdr. eff 22 Jan 91 31 Jan 91 PANHQ 5. Lt. Col. Stephen W. Peters aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Lawrence F. Lis and to Temp. Col. eff 20 Feb 91 8 Feb 93 PANHQ 5. Col. Stephen W. Peters reaptd. Comdr. eff 20 Feb 93 7 Feb 94 PANHQ 9. Col. Stephen W. Peters reaptd. Comdr. eff 20 Feb 94 15 Sep 94 PANHQ 65. Lt. Col. Ronald W. Westholm aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Stephen W. Peters and to Temp. Col, 24 Sep 94. Col. Stephen W. Peters to Perm. Col, 24 Sep 94 7 Sep 95 PANHQ 61. Col. Ronald W. Westholm reaptd. Comdr. eff 24 Sep 95 2 Mar 98 PANHQ 12. Lt. Col. Joseph S. King, Jr., aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Ronald W. Westholm and to Temp. Col. eff 1 Mar 98

5 Aug 98 PANHQ 43. Col. Joseph S. King, Jr., reverts to the grade of Lt. Col. upon replacement as Comdr. eff 31 May 98 10 Sep 98 PANHQ 60. Lt. Col. Joseph S. King, Jr., aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Ronald W. Westholm and to Temp. Col. eff 24 Sep 98. Col Ronald W. Westhold to Col, 24 Sep 98 9 Sep 99 PANHQ 51. Col Joseph S. King, Jr, 1 year probationary term, 24 Sep 99 26 Nov 2001 PANHQ 97. Col. Robert M. Karton aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Joseph S. King, Jr., for period 1 December 2001 thru 1 March 2002. Col. Joseph S. King, Jr., to Perm. Col. eff 1 Dec 2001 20 Feb 2002 PANHQ 12. Col. Robert M. Karton extended as Int. Comdr. to 16 Mar 2002, eff 1 Mar 2002. 7 Mar 2002 PANHQ 14. Lt. Col. Jay R. Burrell aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Robert M. Karton Temp. Col. eff 16 Mar 2002 11 Mar 2005 PANHQ 12. Lt. Col. Maurice Givens aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Jay R. Burrell Temp. Col. eff 12 Mar 2005. Col. Jay R. Burrell to Perm. Col. eff. 12 Mar 2005

Researched by Louisa S. Morse, Col, CAP Updated by Mark Hess, Lt Col, CAP (As of 15 Oct 2013)