Ward was only 17 when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. He wanted to join the Navy here in Missouri, but he had to be 18 to enlist. So Ward got on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle with his best friend, Norman C. Haskins (also 17 and born in Missouri) and went to Kansas where they could enlist in the Navy.
He served on the LST 1101 ~ Okinawa, Japan, U. S. Navy
Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, code name Operation Iceberg, two Marine divisions, the 1st and 6th, two Army divisions, 7th and 96th stormed ashore as a demonstration of landing force; standing off the south end of Okinawa. A total of 343 LSTs took part in the invasion. "Kamikaze LST Hits ~ Kamikaze operations in the Okinawa area, according to Japanese records, began on February 21, 1945. A total of eight LSTs were hit by Kamikazes." During the Okinawa campain other LSTs came and went, bringing troops, supplies and equipment to the island. Since this was a war zone these LSTs received one battle star.
TOTAL NAVY SHIP LOSSES
43 Never Returned to Battle
23 Out of Service Over 30 Years
34 Sunk
368 Damaged
4,900+ Sailors Wounded or M.I.A.
4,860 Killed In Action
Ward was only 17 when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. He wanted to join the Navy here in Missouri, but he had to be 18 to enlist. So Ward got on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle with his best friend, Norman C. Haskins (also 17 and born in Missouri) and went to Kansas where they could enlist in the Navy.
He served on the LST 1101 ~ Okinawa, Japan, U. S. Navy
Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, code name Operation Iceberg, two Marine divisions, the 1st and 6th, two Army divisions, 7th and 96th stormed ashore as a demonstration of landing force; standing off the south end of Okinawa. A total of 343 LSTs took part in the invasion. "Kamikaze LST Hits ~ Kamikaze operations in the Okinawa area, according to Japanese records, began on February 21, 1945. A total of eight LSTs were hit by Kamikazes." During the Okinawa campain other LSTs came and went, bringing troops, supplies and equipment to the island. Since this was a war zone these LSTs received one battle star.
TOTAL NAVY SHIP LOSSES
43 Never Returned to Battle
23 Out of Service Over 30 Years
34 Sunk
368 Damaged
4,900+ Sailors Wounded or M.I.A.
4,860 Killed In Action
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Married Ruby Alene Ramsey on November 21, 1946.
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