Established in the opening days of World War II, the Civil Air Patrol organized civilian assistance for a variety of military activities, including coastal defense. Using privately owned light aircraft, citizen volunteers patrolled Atlantic waters in search of German submarines and their victims, and some of these planes were later armed. A small unpaved airfield on the west side of nearby Airport Road was the second of 21 East Coast bases established for submarine detection. During 1942 and 1943, Civil Air Patrol members assigned there flew countless missions in search of enemy vessels. After regular military forces assumed coastal patrol duties, the Civil Air Patrol's "Flying Minute Men" continued to serve with distinction through the rest of the war.