James Richard Ward (September 10, 1921 – December 7, 1941) was a US Navy sailor who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Ward enlisted in the United States Navy at Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 25, 1940.

After basic training, he reported on board the battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37).

The order was given to abandon ship, but Seaman First Class Ward remained in a turret holding a flashlight, thus sacrificing his own life to permit other members of the crew to escape.

On August 19, 2021, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of Seaman First Class James Richard Ward.