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Twins reflect on lifetime of military service

132 years of experience with Civil Air Patrol

Photo by Washington Wing Deputy Public Affairs Lt. Col. Eleanor Baker, left, and Lt. Col. Evelyn Lundstrom-Weiss, right, celebrating their 86th birthday last August at the Washington Wing of the Civil Air Patrol headquarters on McChord Field.

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Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Lundstrom-Weiss and Lt. Col. Eleanor Baker have spent nearly a lifetime with the Washington Wing of the Civil Air Patrol at McChord Field.

The only thing they might have committed more time to than their service is each other. The two sisters, often referred to as “the twins,” are still as close as when they started their service in 1950.

“She lives about 13 miles away from me now,” Baker said. “That’s probably the farthest we’ve ever lived apart. We’ve always belonged to things together. We worked with the Seattle Squadron at one of the first ever Seafair parades.”

The two 86-year-old women have a combined 132 years of experience with the Civil Air Patrol. They’ve seen the formation and fall of the USSR, the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the 9-11 terrorist attacks and much more.

Through all of the changes in the country and the world, the two sisters have remained constant for the Civil Air Patrol.

They currently head up the department’s history program. Their years of service and time with the department have allowed them to witness firsthand the change and growth it has gone through.

“When we first started, we had to study out the Boeing manual, and it was so boring,” Lundstrom-Weiss said while laughing. “We know that they do a much better job training the cadets. It’s improved so much.”

The two agree that the lifetime working for the CAP has been worth it. They have traveled the world, helping people during natural disasters and pushing each other to always become better at their jobs.

“We’ve been involved in every aspect of Civil Air Patrol,” Baker said. “Whether it be disaster relief, summer encampments, search missions, whatever you can think of.”

While working with one’s sibling might sound daunting to some, Lundstrom-Weiss and Baker agree it’s been a fantastic experience. They’ve been able to use each as other as confidants and also as healthy rivals, as they both tried to become the best versions of themselves.

They’d also encourage anyone who is interested in learning about aerospace to look long and hard at a program, because they know it’s a fantastic way to get introduced.

“You’ll be able to learn as much as you possibly can,” Lundstrom-Weiss said. “There are also so many activities and opportunities that you can accept if you’re ambitious.”

While it would be easy for the two to call it quits, they both agree that they enjoy working for Civil Air Patrol too much to walk away.

“It keeps you young to keep busy,” Baker said. “I just enjoy doing everything so much still. Hopefully, we can keep doing this for a while longer!”

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