World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Japanese Navy attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, where he was serving in the United States Navy as a Seaman First Class aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma. His citation reads, "For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his life, above and beyond the call of duty. When it was seen that the USS Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life." A cenotaph was placed for him in Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield, Ohio, which was his hometown. His name is permanently inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, where a rosette is placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for, as his remains were recovered in 2015, identified, and buried in Arlington National Cemetery in 2021.
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Japanese Navy attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, where he was serving in the United States Navy as a Seaman First Class aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma. His citation reads, "For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his life, above and beyond the call of duty. When it was seen that the USS Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life." A cenotaph was placed for him in Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield, Ohio, which was his hometown. His name is permanently inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, where a rosette is placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for, as his remains were recovered in 2015, identified, and buried in Arlington National Cemetery in 2021.
Bio by: Ugaalltheway
Gravesite Details
Interment Date:12/21/2023
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