Orlando Ward (1891 - 1972)

Ancestors

Biography

Silver Star Medal

Orlando Ward graduated in the 1914 Class of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a Second Lieutenant in the Cavalry Branch, U.S. Army. His first assignment was as Commander of the black troops serving in the "E" Troop of the 9th Cavalry Regiment on border patrol in the wilds of Arizona and New Mexico. Later he served under General John Joseph Pershing chasing Pancho Villa back into Mexico in 1916. Seeing that the Cavalry had a limited future, he joined the 10th Field Artillery Regiment in Camp Douglas, Arizona. One of his many medals was the Mexican Service Medal for his service in the Pancho Villa Expedition. His service to our country in the U.S. Army was amazingly from 1914 through 1953.

Once the U.S. entered WWI in April of 1917, Ward's Regiment became part of the 3rd Infantry Division. In July, 1918, in the Second Battle of the Marne, he took charge of the 2nd Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment and kept the Battalion effective until the tide of Germans was turned back. This earned Ward the Silver Star Citation. Between WWI and WWII, one of his assignments was at Fort Sill, OK, where he and others developed 'forward observer' procedures that added to the Army's effectiveness in World War II.

July, 1939 to Aug, 1941, Orlando Ward served with as Secretary to General George Marshall, working closely with Generals Walter Bedell Smith and Omar Bradley.

Purple Heart

Distinguished Service Medal

Legion of Merit Medal

Having earned the rank of Major General in March of 1942, he became the second commander of the 1st Armored Division. In November he oversaw the deployment of his division to French North Africa, which was brought piecemeal as part of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa. Things did not always go well for General Ward and his troops there, and Ward became the only General whom Patton relieved of his duties. At this point he returned to the United States and served briefly as Commander of the U.S. Army Tank Destroyer School at Camp Hood, Texas before becoming Commandant of the U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he had served as an instructor before the war.

After assuming command of the 20th Armored Division from Major General Roderick R. Allen, the Division was sent to the Western Front (ETO), where they took part in the Allied invasion of Germany, and in the capture of the German city of Munich.

Just during WWII, General Ward was twice awarded the Legion of Merit, along with the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Cross.

---

After assuming command of the 20th Armored Division from Major General Roderick R. Allen, the Division was sent to the Western Front (ETO), where they took part in the Allied invasion of Germany, and in the capture of the German city of Munich. Just during WWII, General Ward was twice awarded the Legion of Merit, along with the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, the Army Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Cross.

He went on to serve first as Commander of the 6th Infantry Division in Korea (prior to the war there), and later as Chief of Military History, where he oversaw the production of the famous "Green Books," the official U.S. Army history of World War II. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1953 and returned to Denver, Colorado, where he remained until his death on February 4, 1972.

General Ward's Citation when presented the Distinguished Service Cross lauds him for extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy while serving as Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division, in action against enemy forces in March 1943 in Tunisia. Making a personal reconnaissance of the enemy position during the night preceding the attack, General Ward visited the forward elements of his armored infantry and tank units which were to make the assault. He was under fire from high velocity guns and sweeping machine gun fire during this event. He found hesitant reserves whom he organized into units and led forward. When he came upon forward troops pinned down by enemy fire and unready to proceed with the planned attack, he walked calmly among the men, calling attention to their own supporting artillery fire, illustrating that he could move without being hit. He reorganized scattered units, personally encouraged the wavering infantrymen, , walked through enemy fire to direct the gun fire of his tanks upon the objectives to neutralize the enemy machine gun fire and enable the assault teams to carry out their mission.

General Ward was wounded by a machine gun bullet but did not retire for medical attention until the attack was launched. Throughout the morning hours, his presence among the troops, words of reason and encouragement, and his unconcerned progress across terrain bathed in machine gun fire, brought order out of confusion, courage out of hesitancy, progress out of inertia, and inspired a coordinated attack. Major General Ward's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the United States military and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Armored Division, and the United States Army.

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21771257/orlando-ward

• https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/6219

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Ward

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-62T7-GXW?i=6&cc=1325221&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMQM4-M8D

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRV7-JHS?i=29&cc=1727033&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMK4P-CYW