GIVING BACK

mental diplomat with the U.S. Agency for International
Development in Washington, D.C.
As the son of a World War II Army Air Corps
squadron commander, Hester’s love of planes came naturally.
To find a funding alternative for his expensive
hobby, he joined the U.S. Civil Air Patrol where he
could fly and still continue his volunteerism.
As part of CAP’s emergency services, Hester commanded
a T-41 aircraft as a first responder for the
nation’s inland search and rescue missions, and he flew
over the Chesapeake Bay looking for boaters in distress.
A lot of his nights and weekends were spent in training,
so his team could be ready when disaster struck.
When the call that came in was real, Hester’s adrenaline
flowed. He looked forward to the actual missions, but
he dreaded them, too, because he knew there was probably
someone in peril who more often than not would
not be found alive.
But this was when he felt most useful.
Even when the missions ended with Hester circling
over the few disintegrated remains of a crashed airplane
with no survivors, he was comforted knowing somewhere
someone would at least have closure because their
loved ones were no longer missing.
“I’m part of this society and if the society is going to
work then people are going to have to make positive
contributions to it,” he said. “If we all just did a little bit
more, who’s to say what we could accomplish.”
Hester performs his volunteer work quietly and as a
lifestyle. He’s not one to seek the limelight for what he
thinks everyone should be doing. However, through the
presidential recognition, he’s had the opportunity to
inspire others to share their time with their neighbors.
Volunteers make a difference
Whether it’s flying search missions for downed aircraft,
ensuring a classroom of first-graders has books in
its library or creating positive government for the city of
Laurel, Hester seeks positive change.
“I see a continuous spectrum, from my family to my
community to my country to my world, with problems
and solutions at all levels,” he said. “The easy response
to problems is to complain or isolate yourself, but I do
not feel that either of these accomplishes anything. I
choose to be among those who work toward solutions.”
While his pilot training lent itself perfectly to his
work with the Civil Air Patrol, not every volunteer
needs specialized training, he said. “There are needs in
Hester continues volunteer
service after CAP
After a decade of service to the Civil Air Patrol,
Hester left to create a new school in Laurel based on the
Montessori teaching method that allows parents to take
a more active part in their children’s education.
He was also appointed by his city’s mayor to serve on
the Board of Appeals and later on the Ethics
Commission, where he chairs investigations into ethics
violations to ensure all Laurel officials, employees and
police officers act in the best interests of the citizens.
”
the world. Just look out there. There are endless opportunities.
You get something back in return when you
volunteer. You make a difference in the world. And the
world doesn’t have to be the entire world, it doesn’t have
to be your entire state, it can just be your town or just
part of your town, just one group.”
Hester hasn’t giving up on flying. After he retires he’d
like to renew his license and soar over the Chesapeake
Bay again to lead the U.S. Coast Guard to boats in distress.
“Maybe when I retire, I’d like to go back to flying
and maybe get involved with the Civil Air Patrol again,”
he said. ▲
Community is people working together and
helping each other, being part of the solution.
— James Hester, former pilot, Maryland Wing
U. S. Civil Air Patrol Volunteer 25 July-August 2007