Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Harold E. Ward Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS San Francisco (CA 38); USS Wabash (AOG 4); USS Giansar (AK 111); USS Charles H. Roan (DD 853)
- Location of Service: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Great Lakes, Illinois; Pacific; Atlantic; Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), New Guinea, Alaska
- Highest Rank: Petty Officer First Class
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/70026
For Harold Ward, a self-described skinny kid from Atlantic City, life in the Navy seemed to offer not only a steady paycheck and an escape from a difficult family situation, but also a life of travel and intrigue. Enlisting in 1940, the USS San Francisco became home. Aboard the cruiser, he weathered the attack on Pearl Harbor and got "tangled up" in Guadalcanal. During a night attack by the Japanese on November 13, 1942, off the coast of Guadalcanal, the San Francisco suffered serious damage--and Ward earned a Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained. In his oral history interview, he comments on the importance of asking veterans about their service, to offer a chance to break the usual silence surrounding stories of war.
Interview / Recording
Share
-
PlayMemories of the attack on Pearl Harbor; USS San Francisco was being overhauled; departing for the Pacific Theater 10 days later. 00:10:44.0 - 00:12:45.0
-
PlayNaval Battle of Guadalcanal; USS San Francisco damaged. 00:16:09.0 - 00:16:56.0
-
PlayLearning to forget service experiences; most veterans don't talk about their service unless asked; horror of war. 00:28:18.0 - 00:32:48.0
About this Item
Title
- Harold E. Ward Collection
Names
- Ward, Harold E.
- Oyster River High School
- Hollister, Stephanie
- Kucera, Judy
Home State
- New Hampshire
Headings
- - Ward, Harold E.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- Black or African American
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS San Francisco (CA 38); USS Wabash (AOG 4); USS Giansar (AK 111); USS Charles H. Roan (DD 853)
- Location of Service: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Great Lakes, Illinois; Pacific; Atlantic; Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), New Guinea, Alaska
- Highest Rank: Petty Officer First Class
- Dates of Service: 1940-1959
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2009-12-11; 2009-12-11)
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2009-12-11; 2012-02-16)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/70026
Cite as
- Harold E. Ward Collection (AFC/2001/001/70026), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Atlantic
- Great Lakes, Illinois
- Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), New Guinea, Alaska
- Pacific
- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii