Medal of Honor: James Richard Ward – World War II – December 7, 1941
As USS Oklahoma rolled under repeated torpedo hits, one young sailor stayed behind in the darkness of a turret, holding a flashlight to guide others out—choosing certain death so his shipmates could live.
December 9, 2025
Name: James Richard Ward
Rank: Seaman First Class
Organization: U.S. Navy
Unit: USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
Place and Date: Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii – 7 December 1941
Entered Service At: Springfield, Ohio
Born: September 10, 1921 – Springfield, Ohio
Departed: December 7, 1941 (Killed in Action)
Accredited To: Ohio
Summary of Action
During the devastating first minutes of the attack on Pearl Harbor, USS Oklahoma absorbed multiple torpedo strikes and began to capsize rapidly. Deep inside the ship, trapped in the confusion of a darkened turret, Seaman First Class James Ward and his shipmates faced a race against time as the deck tilted sharply and escape routes disappeared.
When the order came to abandon ship, Ward realized that the turret interior was pitch black—if the men were to escape, they needed light to find their way out. Without hesitation, he stayed behind, holding a flashlight so that his fellow sailors could climb to safety.
Ward remained at his post even as the ship rolled further and the compartment grew lethal. Every man who escaped did so because he chose to stay.
Moments later, Oklahoma overturned, trapping him inside.
His sacrifice—quiet, deliberate, and carried out in total darkness—became one of the defining acts of heroism aboard the battleship that day.
Medal of Honor Citation
