USAF ROTORHEAD Members

Philip Sturges Jr.

Sept 1951, USAF basic at Sampson AFB, NY.

Aircraft and Engine School, Sheppard AFB, TX.

H-5 Helicopter School, San Marcos AFB, TX.

Aug. 1952 – 1955, First unit 83rd Air Rescue Sq. with service in West Palm Beach, Bordeaux, France, and Spangdahlem, Germany.

1955 – 1956, 46th Air Rescue Sq. Westover AFB, MA.

1957 – 1959, 3033rd Test Flight, Olmstead AFB, PA.

Oct. 1959 – Jan. 1960, 24th Helicopter Sq., Showa Air Station, Japan.

1960 – Jan 1961, 6314th Field Maintenance Sq., Osan AFB, Korea.

1370th Photomapping, Turner AFB, GA.

All H-19 time except for H-21’s at Japan and Georgia.

Discharged Sep. 1961.

Sep. 1965 – Sep. 1986, Florida Army National Guard as full time aircraft mechanic, rank from Sgt to Command Sergeant Major, 111th Attack Helicopter Bn., retired Sep. 1986.

During FLARNG service worked on H-13, H-23, OH-58, UH1B/D/H, AH-1S various models and assorted FW aircraft.

I was the Flight Chief at Olmstead and Line Chief at Osan, Tech Sgt.

Allied Shop Foreman at the FLARNG Aviation Maintenance Shop, about 60 aircraft.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Final Flight 16 June 2010 ~

Philip Verne Sturges Jr., Command Sergeant Major, USA (Retired)
September 15, 1931 – June 16, 2010

We just wanted you all to know that Phil, our friend, Father and beloved husband, passed this morning around three thirty.

Our love and thanks to all of you for all the love and well wishes you have given us through this time.

Martha, Philip, and Tony Sturges

Obituary: Philip Verne Sturges, Jr.
(Printed June 25, 2010)

Command Sergeant Major Philip Verne Sturges, Jr., 78 of Kennebunk, died Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House from abdominal cancer.

He was born Sept. 15, 1931 in Rochester, N.Y., the son of Philip V. Sturges and Jean Ide of Troy, N.Y. He attended schools in New York and Delaware and Westminster Academy in Simbury, Conn. Later he attended Jones College in Jacksonville, Fla.

His early military career ran from September 1951 to September 1961 in the U.S. Air Force as a rotary wing technician with service in France, Germany, Japan and Korea. Later he was employed as a full time aviation maintenance technician for the Florida Army National Guard from March 1965 to October 1986, retiring as Army aviation maintenance shop allied shops foreman and attaining the rank of Command Sergeant Major with 31 years of service.

He was awarded the Army’s Draper Award as First Sergeant of Co.D. 26th Avn. Bn., FLARNG, recognized as the top Army armor unit in the regular, reserve or guard. He was also awarded the Sikorsky Helicopter Company “Flying S” with multiple citations for participating in life-saving rescues in Sikorsky helicopters.

While in the Air Force, he met and married Joyce Gayle Kidd of Dallas, Texas in 1952. They had three sons, Philip V. Sturges III of Jacksonville, David Randolph Sturges of Lake City, Fla., and John Anthony Sturges of Asheville, N.C.

He has a grandson, Elliott Cameron Sturges and a granddaughter, Katherine Allison Sturges, He was preceded by his wife in 2000 and his son David in 2002. In 2002 he married Martha D. Snow of Kennebunkport who has two daughters, Shila Soltys and Sarah Derham with grandson Tyrone Harris from previous marriages.

Command Sgt. and Mrs. Sturges resided in Florida and North Carolina prior to moving to Maine full time.

Command Sgt. Sturges had many interests outside of his work. He was an avid sailor, constructed and owned several small wooden boats and collected books on sailing and sailing vessels. He was also interested in various antique and classic cars and owned several over the years. Listening to and playing music, as well as sailing, were his true passions. And though not school trained, he played many instruments with various bluegrass bands in Florida and North Carolina and later on with classic rock and original bands in Maine.

A gathering of friends and family will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, 11 Hunnewell Road, Scarborough.

On-line condolences may be offered to the family at www.directcremationofmaine.com

~ GUEST BOOK ~

Phil was my first CH-21B crew Chief at Turner in 1960, and was very influential in getting me started in helicopter maintenance. GODSpeed, Phil.
~
Jim Kinter

A memorial to a sailing friend: Philip V. Sturges Jr. on a perfect Labor Day
Posted July 14, 2010

This is the saddest post I’ve ever made to my blog. A friend, Phil Sturges, from Kennebunk, ME. recently passed away after a battle with cancer. I only knew Phil for a short time but one of the special characteristics about Phil was that he would treat new acquaintances like old friends–I instantly felt welcome to his world. Phil was always a gentlemen and went through life with such class. Even during his illness, he showed such courage by maintaining a daily online diary through Caring Bridge to keep family and friends updated. Shown here are a few images I took during a perfect day sailing on John Getchell’s the Bon Marche last Labor Day.