Medal of Honor: Calvin John Ward, World War I, October 8, 1918

Name: Calvin John Ward
Rank: Private
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 8, 1918
Unit: Company D, 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division
Entered Service At: Morristown, Tennessee
Born: October 1898, Greene County, Tennessee

Summary of Action
In the bitter fight near Estrees, France, on October 8, 1918, Private Calvin J. Ward found his company pinned down by a German machine gun that swept the ground with deadly precision. The advance faltered, men taking cover wherever they could. Refusing to wait for orders, Ward and a nearby noncommissioned officer decided to take the initiative. Rising from cover under the roar of bullets, the two men rushed across open ground toward the source of the fire.
Ward reached the enemy emplacement first, tossing grenades and firing his rifle in short, disciplined bursts. When the smoke cleared, three German gunners lay dead and seven more surrendered, along with their weapons. The silenced machine gun allowed the line to resume its advance and saved untold lives in the process. His courage under fire and decisive action in the face of certain danger embodied the spirit of the “Old Hickory” Division that day.

Medal of Honor Citation
WARD, CALVIN JOHN
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company D, 117th Infantry, 30th Division. Place and date: Near Estrees, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Morristown, Tenn. Born: October 1898, Greene County, Tenn. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919. Citation: During an advance, Pvt. Ward’s company was held up by a machinegun, which was enfilading the line. Accompanied by a noncommissioned officer, he advanced against this post and succeeded in reducing the nest by killing 3 and capturing 7 of the enemy and their guns.