In our three-week trip to Sweden there were nine trips by air and eleven by bus. We visited eight historical attractions, eight major Swedish companies, and another eight sightseeing excursions of various kinds. We stayed at seven RSAF bases, two private homes and were guests at fourteen formal banquets and receptions. Moreover, we had a chance to see another, very special, country and live a hectic daily schedule with guys from four other countries and from across the US.

For me, the International Air Cadet Exchange was twenty-one days that lasted a lifetime.

Civil Air Patrol's Special Activity Programs for Cadets each summer was one of the big drawing cards in the Program. In CAP, a Cadet's summer was chock-full of quality things to do. For a young man like myself, whose best clothing consisted of my CAP uniforms, here was a real chance to get out, go places, meet new people and experience new adventures.

IACE is the premier Cadet activity. Only about 200 Cadets (out of over 20,000) are selected to represent CAP -- not to mention the United States -- in one of some 44 different countries. Qualification requires a solid record of achievement and, usually, the Amelia Earhart Award. The "Earhart" takes about 3-4 years of diligent effort to earn and with it comes the rank of Cadet Captain. Typical IACE participants are field grade Cadet Officers, even Spaatz Award recipients (Cadet Colonels). This is no lightweight affair...

It was in about 1965 and some IACE Cadets visited our summer encampment -- my first -- at Keesler AFB. They stood over chatting with some of their friends about going to countries in Europe, to England or to Canada. They wore their Blazer Uniforms with special IACE patches on them and looked great! These guys had celebrity status; I decided this IACE thing needed some looking in to...

In putting this little story together it was amazing how easy it was to remember a lot of the details, even years later. I kept a file on the activity with a lot of the original documentation; schedules, the IACE guidebook, etc. There was also a careful daily journal of the trip, plus a lot of pictures to look at. Still, the magnitude of the impact that IACE had on me can be gauged by the clarity of this recollection. It was a life-changing experience.