Photo #: NH 92309
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Seaman First Class James Richard Ward, USN,
(1921-1941)
James Richard Ward was born in Springfield, Ohio, on 10 September 1921. He enlisted in the Navy at Cincinnati, Ohio, in November
1940. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Ward was serving in the battleship Oklahoma. As that ship was capsizing, and had been ordered abandoned, he remained in a
turret holding a flashlight, thus sacrificing his own life to permit other
members of the crew to escape. For his heroism at that time, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
The escort ship USS J. Richard Ward (DE-243), 1943-1972, was named in honor of Seaman First Class Ward.
Ward was awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage on board USS Oklahoma (BB-37) during the 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on
Pearl Harbor.
Medal of Honor citation of Seaman First Class James Richard Ward (as printed in the
official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", page 277):
"For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own 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."
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