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For the millions of people who marveled over the Mel Gibson movie
"We Were Soldiers," none can forget Basil Plumley ... the highly
decorated command sergeant major with the distinguished
accomplishment of fighting in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Remarkably, and as rare as it is, nestled in the heart of
downtown Tampa, Florida, lives an energetic 93-year "young"
gentleman who shares a similar story.
Clifton Ward grew up on
a one horse tobacco farm in Williamston, North Carolina, which was
sharecropped by his father. And, as many farm children did in that
era, he helped levy the burden of the family's chores.
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Retired Lt. Col. Clifton Ward, a World War II and Vietnam War combat pilot, shows his official photo, taken May 19, 1955, during a visit to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 5, 2015. During his flying career, Ward piloted 29 aircraft, was reported missing in action, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal for his actions in WWII and Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo
by Tech. Sgt. Brandon Shapiro with Air Force logo added by USA
Patriotism!)
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When Ward was in his late teens he was put in charge of
the field plowing operations. During that time he learned
something far different than the importance of soil
preparation and crop rotation ... it was that he wanted to
fly. This would be a defining point of his life.
"Every day when I traveled out to the field to plow I
noticed the local airliners flying by--I kept watching them
things over and over," said Ward. "Soon after, I went to my
mother and told her 'I want to be a pilot.'"
The year
was 1943, and with a full understanding of the United
States' current devotion to the war efforts, Ward wasted no
time and went straight to the state capitol to take the
Pilot Training Qualification Test. Three weeks later, he
received his orders from the Army Air Corps and was shipped
off to Miami to begin training.
"It was my first time
outside of North Carolina," said Ward. "I didn't care where
I was going, I was just so excited to be in ... I was
ready."
After training on the Fairchild PT-19, the
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and eventually the Republic P-47
Thunderbolt, Ward, assigned to Abilene Army Air Base, Texas,
finally received his overseas orders to aid in the war.
"We finally got the orders and were shipped overseas on
a C-54 (Douglas C-54 Skymaster)," said Ward. "Our
instructions had us traveling to Northern India, to a very
crude base with a single steel mat runway and bamboo hut
living quarters."
From his decollate outpost, Ward
continuously flew his P-47 into Burma around the Mandalay
area, conducting railroad sweeps and bombing missions to
thwart the remaining Japanese. Later, in 1945, his efforts
turned to the assistance of Ho Chi Minh and his pursuit of
Vietnam's independence from Japan.
After the War
ended in 1945 Ward took a break in service to help out on
the family farm and in doing so he met his wife and they had
two children. Then in 1953 he received a call from the
recently established Air Force asking for him to join their
ranks.
Now in the Air Force and with the Korean War
in full swing, Ward was soon tasked to fly the De Havilland
U-6/L-20 Beaver in support of the American efforts. However,
the war ended before Ward ever flew missions in Korea, but
his career was far from over.
"After Korea ended, I
was sent to helicopter school in San Marcos (San Marcos Army
Air Field, Texas) where they had H-5s (Sikorsky H-5), H-13s
(Bell H-13 Sioux) and H-19s (Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw)," said
Ward. "This is the point in my career when I transitioned
from fighters to helicopters."
From 1953 through
1966, Ward served in numerous positions and flew missions
all over the world. During this time he was assigned as a
helicopter pilot at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida,
however, to his dismay the base did not have any assigned.
Instead he was positioned as one of four base operations
officers, as well as the lead instructor at the wing's
instrument school.
Then, in 1966, Ward received his
third set of war orders, this time to aid South Vietnam in
its fight against North Vietnam and their
Communist-controlled areas in the South.
"I didn't
even consider the thought of it being my third set of war
orders," Ward said. "I just wanted to do my job ... I loved
to fly, I never lost my desire."
With orders in hand,
Ward's first stop was at a survival school in Washington,
followed by jungle capture and evasion training in the
Philippines. Upon completion he was immediately sent to
Saigon and attached to the 20th Special Operations Squadron
which had three Sikorsky CH-3s.
"My big mission was
supporting the special forces up in Central Vietnam at a
little strip next to Laos," said Ward. "I would fly around
the SFs and they would tell me where in Laos they wanted to
be dropped off so they could survey the traffic of supplies
between the two countries."
After flying more than
200 war missions and earning numerous accolades, Ward
returned to the states in 1967. His new assignment was to
run the helicopter school in Wichita Falls, Texas. Two years
later, and after 29 years of service, Lt. Col. Clifton E.
Ward retired.
"It was certainly an interesting career
for a farm boy from North Carolina," laughed Ward.
Especially for one who didn't go to college and was told he
could never be a pilot."
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During Ward's illustrious
flying career he piloted 29 aircraft, was reported missing
in action, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the
Bronze Star Medal, and an Air Medal for his actions in WWII
and Vietnam.
By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Shapiro
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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