Edward "Eddie" Ward was born in Pine Knot, Kentucky, on Nov. 23, 1881. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1901, and in 1907, Corporal Ward was assigned by the Signal Officer to take charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects. He became the first non-commissioned officer of what evolved into the present aviation branch of the U.S. Army. While serving in Virginia, he helped uncrate the Wright brothers plane when it arrived for trials in 1908. After promotion to sergeant, Ward became engineer of U.S. Army Dirigible No. 1 at Fort Omaha. Later, he served in the Signal Corps in Alaska and the Philippines, returned to the U.S. in 1914, was commissioned as first lieutenant at the start of World War I, and died on Jan. 7, 1965. He is buried in Dayton, Ohio.