Calvin John Ward was born October 30, 1899, in Greene County. He had just turned 18 when he joined the United States Army at Morristown. He shipped out to England aboard the HMS Northumberland in early May 1918 with Company D, 117th Infantry, 30th Division.

Private Ward earned his Medal of Honor near Estrées, France, on October 8, 1918, having only had a few short months of training. Amid the Meuse–Argonne offensive, a machine gun nest with continuous effective fire halted the advance of Ward’s company. Alongside non-commissioned officer Sergeant “Buck” Karnes (a fellow Medal of Honor recipient), a frustrated Ward determined to charge the position. With bayonets fixed, Ward and Karnes charged the machine gun while under fire, killing three enemy soldiers and capturing seven more. With the gun out of commission, Ward and Karnes helped the company to advance. Ward was awarded the Medal of Honor, along with eight foreign medals, for his actions.