Vietnam War Phantom RIO helmets gear flightsuits

[firefighter]

Today I had time to look more closely at the all-yellow helmet, plus a nice F-4 model: each had a surprise - his name on them. Most surprising was seeing his name painted below the canopy on the model. He was with VF-21 Freelancers on the Ranger then.

 

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That is one incredible group. Interesting that he got the F-4 model in Angeles and not Po City.They were all over out side Clark but they also had them outside of Subic. They would also personalize anything you asked them too.

Again, AMAZING group. Those log books are a real part of Navy history.

[Bob Hudson]

 

 

That is one incredible group. Interesting that he got the F-4 model in Angeles and not Po City.They were all over out side Clark but they also had them outside of Subic. They would also personalize anything you asked them too.

Again, AMAZING group. Those log books are a real part of Navy history.

 

 

The family kept all of the logs, photos and other documents plus insignia.

 

But, a named group of helmets and flight gear like this is pretty impressive as is, for sure.

[Bob Hudson]

Here's a Snoopy tool named to squadron VF-302. These were for the DZUS fasteners attaching removeable panels to the airframe.

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

His career as flight surgeon and RIO rear seaters is impressive, but I'm sure he was quite impressed with the career of his father-in-law, a Navy Cross recipient:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pierson_Crowe

[dave peifer]

very impressive for sure.and it's great you were able to get pics of the logs......................dave

[USARV72]

Thanks for posting, fantastic group! The “Airdales” and Air Force guys kept the gooks off us in 72, thank God for them.

[boxerdogi]

Any chance the oxygen masks might be tucked away some where?

[Bob Hudson]

Any chance the oxygen masks might be tucked away some where?

I doubt it.

[Bob Hudson]

Here's a flight suit he may have worn when he was a wing flight surgeon:

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

Here is most of the grouping in one shot: not shown is his aviator's kit bag. I removed the stand from the F-4 model for this photo.

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

I was able to get a nice bronze plaque for his Vietnam squadron VF-154, Black Knights. The name plate had been removed. There is also a cut-edge VF 154 patch. I don't know where it was made or when.

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

A testimony to the size of the KIT BAG, FLYERS:

 

This holds the five flightsuits, two torso harnesses and the g-suit.

 

[williamsmilitaryrelics]

WOW.. what a grouping...

[sky eagle]

Real nice...Especially the Flight Helmets! 

[Bob Hudson]

9 hours ago, sky eagle said:

Real nice...Especially the Flight Helmets! 

 

Yes a nice legacy of his service. 

 

I did not know until I did some checking this morning, but Captain Ward died one month after I acquired this group from the family. As I wrote above, they kept his logs and decorations and have a lot of pride in his service. Here's an obituary from https://soledadmemorial.org/plaques/captain-clarence-f-ward-jr/

 

Clarence Fenimore (Connie) Ward, Jr. was born July 14, 1944 in Portsmouth, VA, where he lived throughout his childhood.

 

He spent the summers of 1967 and 1968 on Active Duty with the US Navy as part of the 1915 Program. He attended UVA for both undergrad and medical school, graduating from medical school in 1969, shortly after marrying Gretchen in May of that year.

 

His internship year was spent at Portsmouth Naval Hospital from July of 1969 thru June of 1970. He was then on the USS Enterprise while it was in port at Norfolk before leaving for Pensacola in September of 1970. There he completed his Flight Surgeon Training, having already obtained his private pilots license in 1965. Flying was truly in his blood from the start. He continued flying private planes into the 1990s, and even tried his hand at flying gliders late into his 60s.

 

After he completed his training at Pensacola, graduating #1 in his class, he and Gretchen arrived in San Diego in the spring of 1971. He was shortly thereafter sent to the USS Kitty Hawk off the coast of Southeast Asia. Following that deployment he joined CAG 2 and deployed on the USS Ranger from 1972-1973. His deployments to both carriers were officially as a Flight Surgeon/Medical Officer, but he also taught himself how to be the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) of the F-4 – simply by reading books and spending time in the simulator. He flew as a RIO in a number of sorties during his time on the carriers in the Vietnam War and was the first aviator in his Air Wing to earn an Air Medal.

 

He then returned to San Diego, where he was stationed at Miramar Naval Air Station as part of the USNR and decided to pursue an Anesthesiology residency at UCSD. His residency rotations included 3 months at SickKids in Toronto and 3 months at San Francisco General in the ICU. After completing his residency, he received a staff position at UCSD as an Anesthesiologist and Clinical Professor.

 

Throughout his Anesthesia career he continued flying in the Navy Reserves and transitioned with his Air Wing from the F-4 to the F-14. Any opportunity to fly, he gladly took.

 

In addition to his work in clinical anesthesia, he researched and published on impaired physicians and the risk of drug addiction in anesthesia. Connie continued his work with impaired physicians his entire career, helping colleagues with interventions, placement in rehab, and a progression back into the workforce. He spoke on this subject, along with a multitude of others, at medical conferences around the world. His lectures were always well attended, as they were not only educational, but also filled with his characteristic wit and dry humor.

 

He left UCSD in 1989 and began working in private practice at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla. Connie retired from the USNR as a Captain in 1995, and retired from practicing as an Anesthesiologist in 2013.

 

In addition to his career in medicine and the US Navy, he also enjoyed SCUBA diving, which he started in high school and continued late in to life. As with everything he pursued, he excelled and obtained multiple diving certifications.

 

Above all, Connie was a loving father, husband, and grandfather. He always made sure his family knew they were loved and that he was proud of them. Connie passed away October 20, 2018, with his wife Gretchen and 3 daughters Tracy, Lynn and Diane at his bedside.

[Bob Hudson]

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[sky eagle]

Thank you Bob, For sharing his contributions. a remarkable person!

[Bob Hudson]

On 6/2/2020 at 9:01 AM, sky eagle said:

Thank you Bob, For sharing his contributions. a remarkable person!

 

For sure: I hadn't read this in a while but his story is just as interesting the second time.

 

RIP Connie Ward

[Hermanus]

RIP Connie.

 

Do you have pictures of his medals and/or ribbon racket? 

 

Regards

Herman 

[Bob Hudson]

10 hours ago, Hermanus said:

Do you have pictures of his medals and/or ribbon rack

 

No I did not get photos of those.

[Hermanus]

1 hour ago, Bob Hudson said:

 

No I did not get photos of those.

 

Okay, thanks 

[Nack]

An amazing group from an amazing person.

[Bob Hudson]

58 minutes ago, Nack said:

An amazing group from an amazing person.

 

His obituary says he was the first in his air wing to earn an Air Medal:

 

"After he completed his training at Pensacola, graduating #1 in his class, he and Gretchen arrived in San Diego in the spring of 1971. He was shortly thereafter sent to the USS Kitty Hawk off the coast of Southeast Asia. Following that deployment he joined CAG 2 and deployed on the USS Ranger from 1972-1973. His deployments to both carriers were officially as a Flight Surgeon/Medical Officer, but he also taught himself how to be the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) of the F-4 – simply by reading books and spending time in the simulator. He flew as a RIO in a number of sorties during his time on the carriers in the Vietnam War and was the first aviator in his Air Wing to earn an Air Medal."

[PMAN12094]

I’ve got an old flyers kit bag in my collection damn they hold a lot.

On 9/18/2018 at 10:31 PM, Bob Hudson said:

A testimony to the size of the KIT BAG, FLYERS:

 

This holds the five flightsuits, two torso harnesses and the g-suit.

 

[ItemCo16527]

I wish I had the money to collect Navy and Marine flight helmets. They have some brilliant designs on them, and it seems no two are exactly alike. I guess it's too much to hope prices will plummet to $50 a pop lol

 

Awesome collection, though! Thanks for sharing!