JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Just a block away from the headquarters of Air Education and Training Command, the Air Force major command responsible for pilot training, stands a building that houses a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the legacy of the United States’ first military aviators alive.
The structure, located on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph’s Main Circle, is home to Order of Daedalians, which not only remembers the pilots of yesteryear who fought for their country in World War I, but also advocates for U.S. air and space power in today’s world.
“Our organization honors the past of our military pilots, recognizes today’s top aviators of all the services and supports those who want to pursue military careers as aviators,” said Maureen DeFelice, Order of Daedalians executive director.
The creation of the Order of Daedalians in 1934 at Maxwell Field, Alabama, fulfilled the vision of Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, commander of American aerial combat units in France during World War I, who had urged creation of an organization that would honor the legacy of the military pilots who fought in that war.
The organization was named for Daedalus, the figure in Greek mythology who fashioned wings for himself and his son Icarus to escape the labyrinth he had created for King Minos of Crete.
The past is on prominent display at the Daedalians’ national headquarters in building 676, the organization’s home since 1994 after 40 years at Kelly Air Force Base.
Visitors who enter the building first see a large sculpture created by San Antonio artist Donna Dobberfuhl. The sculpture, titled “Soaring With Daedalus,” pays homage to the pioneering World War I aviators and the 35 charter members of the organization; it also bears the image of Daedalus.
Two of those charter members are Capts. Clements McMullen and Frederick Eglin. McMullen rose to the rank of major general; a major thoroughfare in San Antonio was named in honor of him. Eglin attained the rank of lieutenant colonel, but was killed in an air crash in 1937; an Air Force base in Florida bears his name.
McMullen, Eglin and the rest of the charter members are among the more than 14,100 World War I Army and Navy pilots who are honored by the order as founder members.
To perpetuate the legacy of the founder members, the Daedalians added more member categories as the years passed, DeFelice said.
“We expanded our categories to include more than just World War I pilots,” she said. “Their descendants became part of our organization as hereditary members in 1953. Rated military aviators since World War I became named members for the founders starting in 1959.”
The Daedalian headquarters also features a library with 7,000 to 8,000 volumes and a diverse collection of memorabilia. Among the numerous items on display are World War I aviator headgear, a wooden propeller signed by pilots and mechanics, and a photograph of Jimmy Doolittle with President Ronald Reagan and Sen. Barry Goldwater during the World War II hero’s promotion to general.
Reams and reams of flight records and other documents pertaining to the founder members are contained in a long row of filing cabinets; a preservation project is underway to scan all those papers.
“We have records from about one-third of those officers,” DeFelice said. “We are trying to save a piece of World War I history.”
The Daedalians are much more than keepers of the flame of American military aviation history. They recognize outstanding performance by pilots in all five armed services through their Daedalian Exceptional Aviator Awards and honor units and individuals who have distinguished themselves in areas such as safety, education and training, weapons systems, weapons system maintenance, logistics readiness and services.
Through its foundation, the order looks beyond the horizon for tomorrow’s airborne warriors by promoting military aviation, education, citizenship and charity.
Local Daedalian flights offer scholarships to students, including the Daedalian Flying Training Scholarship. The foundation awards excellence in education with presentations to outstanding graduates of the services’ undergraduate pilot training schools and supports the Junior ROTC medal program for more than 1,000 high schools nationally.
The Order of the Daedalians is funded solely through donations from members and corporate grants, DeFelice said.
“We don’t have any government funding at all,” she said.
The Daedalian headquarters – which is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday – draws a lot of interest, said Annette Crawford, Order of the Daedalians public relations manager.
“We have a lot of people who stop by when they see our building,” she said. “They’re curious. Most officers’ clubs have a Daedalian Room, so people may know the name, but don’t know what we’re all about.”
With its ties to the earliest stage of military aviation history, the Daedalians have a fitting home at JBSA-Randolph.
“We are blessed to be here on this base in an aviation community,” DeFelice said.