AARON WARD (SAILOR)

Rear Admiral 'Aaron Ward' (10 October 1851 - 5 July 1918) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ward graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1871. He was ordered to California on the Pacific Station. He next served in ''Brooklyn'' in the West Indies from 1873 to 1874, before reporting to ''Franklin'' on the European Station.
Ward served a tour of duty at the Naval Academy from 1876 to 1879. Next he served with the ''Constitution'' training squadron in 1879 through 1882. Ward was occupied with various professional duties at the Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island, and the New York Navy Yard through 1885. From 1885 to 1888 he was stationed in ''Hartford'' and ''Monongehela'' on the Pacific Station. Between 1889 and 1894, Ward served as naval attaché in Paris, Berlin, and St. Petersburg. He sailed with ''New York'' in the West Indies and Brazil until 1894, and in ''San Francisco'' in the Mediterranean through 1896.
During the Spanish-American War, Ward commanded ''Wasp''. Commended for gallantry, he was advanced to lieutenant commander for conspicuous service at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. He then commanded ''Panther'' for a year in the West Indies, followed by service as chief of staff to the Asiatic Station commander. From 1901 to 1908, Ward commanded ''Yorktown'', ''Don Juan de Austria'', and ''Pennsylvania'' successively. He served for one year as supervisor of the harbor at New York before becoming an aide to the Secretary of the Navy in 1909. In 1910 Ward was promoted to rear admiral. In 1911 he became second in command of the Atlantic Fleet. Rear Admiral Ward retired on 10 October 1913.
He died on 5 July 1918, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.
See USS ''Aaron Ward'' for ships named in his honor.