May 21, 200818 yr #1 Here is one that I had to bget when I saw it, it has an interesting story. This belonged to LTC Ward Fleming, USAF a pilot during WWII in the Pacific and DFC/AM recipient. What drew me to this uniform is the fact that Ward's brother, Richard, was also in WWII as a Marine Pilot. Richard E. Fleming received the Medal of Honor posthumously on Midway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Fleming#Biography For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Flight Officer, Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron TWO FORTY-ONE during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of Midway on June 4 and 5, 1942. When his squadron Commander was shot down during the initial attack upon an enemy aircraft carrier, Captain Fleming led the remainder of the division with such fearless determination that he dived his own plane to the perilously low altitude of four hundred feet before releasing his bomb. Although his craft was riddled by 179 hits in the blistering hail of fire that burst upon him from Japanese fighter guns and antiaircraft batteries, he pulled out with only two minor wounds inflicted upon himself. On the night of June 4, when the Squadron Commander lost his way and became separated from the others, Captain Fleming brought his own plane in for a safe landing at its base despite hazardous weather conditions and total darkness. The following day, after less than four hours' sleep, he led the second division of his squadron in a coordinated glide-bombing and dive- bombing assault upon a Japanese battleship. Undeterred by a fateful approach glide, during which his ship was struck and set afire, he grimly pressed home his attack to an altitude of five hundred feet, released his bomb to score a near-miss on the stern of his target, then crashed to the sea in flames. His dauntless perseverance and unyielding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. I thought it was interesting to have a MOH brother's uniform. The seller literally has ALL of both brother's medals, photos, and paperwork. I do not own Ward's medals, but have a picture of them.
May 22, 200818 yr #8 I remember reading that you could actually see Flemings airplane on the ship after he crashed into it. They always show the same photo of the burning ship but I could never make out the airplane.
May 22, 200818 yr #10 Thanks Jim! Any new additions to your collection lately? I have a few Justin, when I get some time I will post them. again awesome uniform with a great history.
May 22, 200818 yr #11 Here is one that I had to bget when I saw it, it has an interesting story. This belonged to LTC Ward Fleming, USAF a pilot during WWII in the Pacific and DFC/AM recipient. What drew me to this uniform is the fact that Ward's brother, Richard, was also in WWII as a Marine Pilot. Richard E. Fleming received the Medal of Honor posthumously on Midway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Fleming#Biography For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Flight Officer, Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron TWO FORTY-ONE during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of Midway on June 4 and 5, 1942. When his squadron Commander was shot down during the initial attack upon an enemy aircraft carrier, Captain Fleming led the remainder of the division with such fearless determination that he dived his own plane to the perilously low altitude of four hundred feet before releasing his bomb. Although his craft was riddled by 179 hits in the blistering hail of fire that burst upon him from Japanese fighter guns and antiaircraft batteries, he pulled out with only two minor wounds inflicted upon himself. On the night of June 4, when the Squadron Commander lost his way and became separated from the others, Captain Fleming brought his own plane in for a safe landing at its base despite hazardous weather conditions and total darkness. The following day, after less than four hours' sleep, he led the second division of his squadron in a coordinated glide-bombing and dive- bombing assault upon a Japanese battleship. Undeterred by a fateful approach glide, during which his ship was struck and set afire, he grimly pressed home his attack to an altitude of five hundred feet, released his bomb to score a near-miss on the stern of his target, then crashed to the sea in flames. His dauntless perseverance and unyielding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. I thought it was interesting to have a MOH brother's uniform. The seller literally has ALL of both brother's medals, photos, and paperwork. I do not own Ward's medals, but have a picture of them. Do you know anything about this guy's World War II service? I think it's interesting he served in both Europe and the Pacific (China?), with the 10th and 9th Air Forces. It looks like there is a sliver campaign star on his European-African Middle Campaign ribbon showing he participated in five campaigns in that theater and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign shows two more campaigns.
May 23, 200818 yr #12 I remember reading that you could actually see Flemings airplane on the ship after he crashed into it. They always show the same photo of the burning ship but I could never make out the airplane. Robert Sherrod noted in his "History of Marine Corps Aviation in WWII" that it was primarily eye-witness Japanese accounts that reported Fleming's crash. Their accounts relate that the debris on top of the aft turret is the remains of Fleming's aircraft
March 25, 20251 yr #13 Hate to start up a discussion on such an old post but I recently acquired Lt Col Ward Fleming’s aviator bracelet, two USAF name tags from the 1960s and his Ellington Field Advanced Flying School Graduation booklet from 1942. Interestingly I also have miniature US Naval Aviator wing and a Naval Air Crew wing no idea if they have any association with his brother but everything came from the same person.
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