Originally written by a cadet for the “Maroon Marauder” squadron newsletter:

While we, as cadets, sit in the meeting room and march on the drill field, we carry on a long tradition of pride and honor of the Civil Air Patrol. Part of that long tradition is the unit we call today, Eugene L. Carnahan Cadet Squadron 85, who has served the El Dorado County area since 1980.

TThe squadron was first formed from the closing of Mather Air Force Base and division of Mather Composite Squadron 14. The unit members living east of Mather become Foothill Composite Squadron 85 with the now infamous Eugene L. Carnahan as Squadron Commander.

From 1980-1987 the squadron had an average of 20-40 cadets and senior members. The unit won the California Wing Composite Squadron of the Year for 1987, Squadron of Merit, and took 2nd place in the California Wing Drill Competition. The squadron has always centered its attention around community service as we still do today. They held many events including the Marshall M.A.S.H. Run and the Ponderosa High graduation color guard as the unit was based at Ponderosa High School for many years.

During the squadron’s early years, they were designated a search area that was shaped like a triangle (Sacramento, Tahoe, and Truckee). The area is among the most rugged terrain in California for Search and Rescue operations. This rugged desolate and almost un-navigable area became known as “The Wedge” and the cadets and senior members of Squadron 85 soon became known as the “Wedge Hunters”. On our squadron patch our nickname is proudly embroidered and the integrity of the squadron wedge is kept by the triangular shape.

LtCol Judson E. Adamy, joined the squadron in July of 1984 and after Eugene L. Carnahan passed away in 1989, the then Maj. Adamy became Commander and formed a newly chartered cadet unit, Eugene L. Carnahan Cadet Squadron 85. Since that time, the squadron has grown, with at one time having more than 100 members. The squadron has a history of cadet training excellence, with a record of having many alumni attending military academies, successful military careers, corporate executive positions, and many members having received their Spaatz awards who include:

• • • # 457 Brian D. Wolf
    • # 991 Jeffrey R. Duncan-King
    • # 1126 Erike J. Young
    • # 1319 Ronald R. Thompson
    • # 1336 Dustin M. Jones
    • # 1350 Laura E. Thompson (Jones)
    • # 1863 Evan Yanagihara
    • # 1871 Mary E. Barb (Pickering)
    • # 1966 Trenton Bromenschenkel
    • # 1967 Sarah M. Gamble
    • # 2004 Robinson J. Hess

The Squadron 85 tradition of excellent and highly complemented cadets lives on with the cadets who are in the program now and who will succeed in the future.