I don't remember the General, Bill Bloomer, but years ago Buddy flew wave out of Cal City with Gordon, Bob Harris and I.
He was a good kid. Really intense.
He had "Marines" decals on his sailplane but I don't think he was actually sponsored by them. And he wore a fighter pilot type helmet with a sun visor and all.
I haven't seen anyone else wear a hard helmet in a sailplane, unless it was part of a pressure suit. But when you think about it, its not a bad idea for any sport where you're moving fast and there is a potential for crashing.. That said, it looked uncomfortable and I suspect it would lead to a lot of broken canopies if it ever became popular.
Mike Koerner