"Artwork to a Navajo Indian is like a written letter to almost anyone else. A Navajo, 1st Lt Ned A Hatathli, designed the patch Arizona Wing members so proudly wear today. The Thunderbird, the primary design, is a symbol of good luck and each of the symbol's colors bears a separate meaning. The gray and blue body represents the color of Civil Air Patrol aircraft. The Thunderbird's wings are shaped to look like a building or hospital, while the tail represents the wings and stabilizers of an aircraft. The 'V' in the middle of the body represents the many landing fields on the Navajo Reservation. The black to the north represents an evil spirit; the white to the east represents the rising sun; the blue to the south represents the heavens; and the yellow to the west is the setting sun."
"Lieutenant Hatathli designed the Arizona Wing patch as a 'thank you'. A full-blood Navajo, who was descended from a Navajo medicine man, he could do nothing when his little girl, Gloria, then 4, was stricken with a serious illness. Hatathli and his family lived on the Navajo Reservation far away from help. The Civil Air Patrol stepped in to help. An Arizona Wing aircrew picked up Gloria on Christmas Day 1952 and flew her to Phoenix, where she could get help. The illness was identified as bulbar polio and the young girl was flown to Hot Springs for treatment. When Gloria Hatathli was able to return to her home, she wore a leg brace, which doctors told the lieutenant she could eventually discard. Then the Navajo Arts and Crafts Center manager, Lieutenant Hatathli joined the Civil Air Patrol and accepted a position as Window Rock Composite Squadron supply officer. He designed the wing patch specifically for Arizona Wing in gratitude of services rendered to help Gloria. Lieutenant Hatathli later became the first president of the Navajo Community College. He died in 1972 after a long and distinguished career as an educator and tribal leader. Today, Gloria still lives on the reservation. Lieutenant Hatathli's wing patch design was accepted and in February 1953 earned approval of the Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters."
Information provided by:
Captain Joyce Kienitz, Arizona Wing Public Affairs
The squadron patch is similar to the Arizona state flag with the gold and red rays and the sea of blue. This honors the state the squadron represents. The 3-bladed propeller is symbolic of the 3-bladed propeller that represents CAP and its three missions. The word "TUNATYAWMA" is from Hopi Tribal folklore. In Hopi folklore, the coyote is the main character in many stories where it interacts with many other creatures. He is considered clever in many stories and then a fool in others. The meaning of "TUNATYAWMA" means to "guide as you go" or to "watch your way."
The Dan Kenney Composite Squadron was chartered by Civil Air Patrol in May of 1979. The squadron was originally named the Flagstaff Composite Squadron until the squadron changed its name when longtime member Dan Kenney passed away in 1986. Dan Kenney was a very active CAP member and an excellent pilot. Dan was instrumental in CAP and helped our local squadron gain prominence for all the hard work he did. This is the reason why the squadron bares his name. Dan Kenney was honored by the Arizona Wing by adding his name to the Wing's Hall of Honor.
Information provided by:
Dan Kenney Composite Squadron 201
September 3, 2010
In 2006, Capt. Oscar M. Cordero and Squadron Commander asked cadets to summit patch designs and the one with the most votes would be selected as the
unit’s patch. After all votes were casted, the “bat patch” was selected and it was designed by Capt. Cordero. The patch features a black bat in mid-
flight on a night sky with white stars.
A bat was chosen as a mascot for two reasons. The most important, because it is very representative of the squadron’s Sonoran Desert landscape in
Nogales, AZ and it isn’t hard to run into them at dawn. The second reason is because their echolocation resembles the technique used to find ELT’s.
Three white stars surround the bat. Each star represents one of CAP’s missions and the three of them form a propeller constellation, which is another CAP
identifier.
Information provided by:
Oscar Cordero
Former Commander, Santa Cruz County Comp Sq 101
September 4, 2015