Ward's History
I grew up in the small town of Keokuk, Iowa. I graduated and went on to Iowa University to become a chemical engineer. After one year I was going to go into Air Force ROTC, but after being encouraged to seek an appointment to the Air Force Academy, I applied to my congressman and fortunately after some intense competition received the appointment. I went to the Academy to fly and serve my country. Unfortunately while there after 2 ½ years I was no longer able to pass the flight physical due to an eye that had gotten weak since passing the entrance exam. It was then that I decided that the academy and I should part company.
I returned to Iowa University and received my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Following graduation I was employed as a circuit designer, manufacturing engineer, and quality assurance engineer for such companies as Square D, Honeywell and Control Data Corporation. In 1978 I took a sales position in New York City and spent the next 25 years selling large computer systems to the financial industry mainly to banking and brokerage. I held sales and sales management positions for such companies as Control Data, Apollo Computer, Digital Equipment Corporation and finally Sun Micro Systems.
After narrowly missing being in the 911 tragedy, our offices were in 2 WTC, I retired, with my wife of 40 years in 2003, in Aiken, South Carolina where we have a 50 acre farm. She has horses and I play a lot of golf, that and mow a lot of grass. In fact I know more about the many different strains of Bermuda grass and horses than I ever thought I would want to know.
I like others am very impressed by the accomplishments and war records of my classmates and honored to be a member of the Air Force Academy class of 1964
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