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Ward, James Richard

Date of birth:
September 10th, 1921 (Springfield/Ohio, United States)
Date of death:
December 7th, 1941 (Pearl Harbor, Hawaiï)
Buried on:
Arlington National Cemetery
Plot: 81. Grave: 1560.
Nationality:
American (1776 - present, Republic)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Seaman 1st Class
Unit:
U.S.S. Oklahoma (BB-37), U.S. Navy
Awarded for:
Operation Z (1941)
"For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. When it was seen that the U.S.S. 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."

Awarded posthumously
Medal of Honor - Navy/Marine Corps (MoH)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Seaman 1st Class
Unit:
U.S.S. Oklahoma (BB-37), U.S. Navy
Purple Heart

Sources

  • Photo 1: U.S. Navy
  • - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996.

Photo