Orlando Ward - Early Life and Career

Early Life and Career

Orlando Ward graduated from West Point in 1914. His first assignment was as a lieutenant of black cavalry troops (E Troop of the 9th Cavalry Regiment) on border patrol in the wilds of Arizona and New Mexico. He later was part of Pershing's forces chasing Pancho Villa into Mexico. He was awarded the Mexican Service Medal for serving on this campaign.

Recognizing that the horse had a limited future, he became interested in artillery and changed to that branch of the Army. At the Second Battle of the Marne, under conditions that rendered other officers in charge useless, he took charge of the 2nd battalion of the U.S. 10th Field Artillery Regiment and kept the battalion effective until the tide of Germans was turned back. He was later awarded the Silver Star for his actions.

During the quiet period between the wars, he continued in field artillery, but was assigned posts like ROTC instructor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (where Charles Lindbergh was one of his students). Eventually, he became an instructor at the United States Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, where he and others developed key Forward Observer procedures that made the United States artillery effective in the Second World War.