Delmer Ray Ward was born in Baileyton, Greene County, Tennessee to James Garfield Ward and Ollie Elizabeth Ryan.
Private First Class Ward was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion. 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on July 16, 1950, forced to march to North Korea on the “Tiger Death March”, and died at Chunggang-jin, North Korea on November 16, 1950. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
The Greeneville Sun, 17 January 1949
Private Delmer R. Ward, son of Mrs. Ollie Ward of Greeneville, Tennessee, Rt. 12 is now serving with the 19th Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 24th Infantry Division. The famed 24th Division, popularly known as the “Victory” Division, now occupies the entire island of Kyushu, third largest and southernmost of the Japanese chain. Pvt. Ward enlisted in January of 1948 and was sent to Fort Lawton, Washington, Port of Embarkation for overseas assignment. Arriving in Japan in Juy of 1948 he joined the 24th Infantry Division and was assigned to the 19th Infantry Regiment. Prior to his enlistment, he attended Lost Mountain High School.
Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Cricket Stapler Waddell
- Rank: Private First Class
- Date of birth: 1 October 1927
- Date of death: 16 November 1950
- County: Greene
- Hometown: Greeneville
- Service Branch: Army
- Division/Assignment: 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division
- Conflict: Korean War
- Awards: Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantrymans Badge, Prisoner of War Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and Republic of Korea War Service Medal
- Burial/Memorial Location: Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XX, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Delmar R. Ward
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