This is the History of the Destroyer USS Ward, which fired America’s first shots in World War 2.
The Ward sank one of 5 Japanese Midget Submarines trying to enter Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but it took 61 years to confirm the sinking.
Alan Lloyd tells us the story of the Ward from its record fast construction at Mare Island in California in 1918 for World War 1, the crewing of the Ward from Minnesota’s Naval Reserves, the famous first shots of World War 2, its conversion to a troop transport ship, its sinking in 1944 and the connection with professional wrestler Jesse Ventura
Alan’s family friend, Commander William Outerbridge, assumed command of the Ward the day before the Pearl Harbor attack and 4 years later to the day he had the duty to scuttle his 1st command ship after it was mortally hit by a Kamikaze in Ormoc Bay.
Ward Index
00:26 Introduction
02:03 Meeting Intro
02:49 Ward Crew
03:40 Engineering Drawings
05:03 Mare Island Construction Record
05:36 Camouflage + Making Smoke
06:02 Mothball Fleet
06:48 Recommissioned Big Island
07:08 Pearl Harbor Aerial View
08:26 Ward Attacking Mini Sub
10:04 Number 3 Gun Crew
10:57 Number 3 Gun Jesse Ventura
11:22 Awarded Navy Cross
12:25 Waimanalo Beach Mini Sub
13:11 Kazuo Sakamaki 1st Prisoner of War
13:26 Keehi Lagoon Sub
13:32 Mini Sub selling War Bonds
13:56 Pearl Harbor Attack
15:00 Japanese Mini Sub Found
17:54 Re-Commissioned Fast Attack Transport
19:16 Ward New Spec Sheet
20:12 Ward General Data
20:39 New Configuration
21:11 Landing Boats
21:35 Ward 16 Invasions
22:04 Ormoc Bay - Leyte Gulf
22:35 At Sea with Landing Barges
22:53 Ward Burns
23:52 Ward Scuttled
24:25 Captain sinks his 1st Command
25:00 Ward Battle Flags
25:46 Final
26:42 Close
