wˈɔːɹd ˈɛntɚd ˈæktɪv dˈuːɾi wɪððə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ˈɑːɹmiz wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːnθ ɹˈɛdʒɪmənt fɹʌmðə tˌɛnəsˈiː nˈæʃənəl ɡˈɑːɹd dˈʊɹɹɪŋ wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ˈaɪ. ˌɔn ɑːktˈoʊbɚɹ ˈeɪt, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn, dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə mjˈuːsˈɑːɹɡɑːn əfˈɛnsɪv, wˈɔːɹdz kˈʌmpəni wʌz stˈɑːpt nˌɪɹ ɛstɹˈeɪz, fɹˈæns baɪ ɐ dʒˈɜːmən məʃˈiːn ɡˈʌn pəzˈɪʃən.
Ward entered active duty with the United States Army's 117th Regiment from the Tennessee National Guard during World War I. On October 8, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Ward's company was stopped near Estrées, France by a German machine gun position.