Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: B Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11E – Armor Crewman
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Combat Infantryman Badge
Unit awards: Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 26-Dec-1949
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Start of tour: 29-May-1968
Incident date: 18-Jul-1968
Date of casualty: 18-Jul-1968
Age at death: 18
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Small Arms Fire. Gun or small arms fire.
Kurt Eugene Ward died from gunshot wound received when engaged hostile force in firefight while gunner on military vehicle on combat operation.
Four Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
SGT Richard Edward Daly Jr
PFC Raymond Conrad Hanik
SGT Allen Curtis Sheline
SP4 Kurt Eugene Ward
Location of fatality: Binh Thuy, South Vietnam
Place of interment: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR KURT EUGENE WARD
18 JULY 1968
B TROOP, 1st SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Ward distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force on 18 July 1968 while serving with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date, Specialist Ward’s unit made contact with an unknown-size force of Viet Cong. During the fierce firefight which followed, a number of the friendly vehicles became greatly endangered by grenade-wielding hostile elements which had crept within easy throwing range of the armored cavalry assault vehicles. Observing this dangerous threat, Specialist Ward, totally disregarding his own safety in the face of intense hostile small arms and automatic weapons fire, completely exposed himself in the right gunner’s hatch in order to bring highly accurate suppressive fire upon the communist forces. He remained at this exposed position until he was mortally wounded by the enemy’s fire. Specialist Four Ward’s unwavering devotion to duty and personal bravery under hostile fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 966 (17 August 1968)