78 Photo Essay: Cadet Thomas Ward
U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Words by Terrell Manasco | Images by Al Blanton
On a fall afternoon in 2018, then-Jasper High School senior Thomas Ward turned on the TV to watch Senator John McCain’s funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral. He felt chill bumps as the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club sang Battle Hymn of the Republic. When they sang the words, “As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,” he was persuaded to act.
“I heard that verse and said, ‘I want to go to West Point,” Thomas recalls.
While studying public policy at Ole Miss, Thomas fell in love with the Army ROTC program. Seeking more of a challenge, he applied to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In February 2020, he was accepted.
Now an American politics major, Thomas speaks today by phone, as he is away at the prestigious school squatting beside a reservoir in upstate New York. During the conversation, his tone is respectful, his replies sprinkled with frequent “yes sirs.”
“I found the value of dedicating myself militarily to the country,” he explains. “I wanted to go all in with it.”
He has indeed gone “all in,” setting two major goals: to graduate with honors, and to become an army infantry officer. Ultimately, he hopes for a career in public service. “My dream is to be in Congress, to be a U.S. Senator,” Thomas says. “I want to serve this country. I believe in what America is and what America can be.”
Thomas admits there’s “a world of difference” between Ole Miss and a military academy with 4,200 cadets. For example, a cadet’s GPA is dedicated not only to academics, but also to military and physical grades, which adds more responsibility. “In my entry-level history class, we're doing graduate-level course work,” Thomas says.
In addition, cadets must maintain top physical condition and pass daily uniform and barracks inspections. Thomas says it has given him a new level of understanding. “My girlfriend's dad (a West Point graduate) told me, ‘Everything in life will be easy because you went to West Point.’ I didn't realize what that meant until now.”
Thomas often speaks of his love for this country and helping America live up to its highest ideals. His sense of patriotism, he says, is a by-product of a strong faith guiding every aspect of his life. “I was raised in a Christian home and always taught to put God first, to keep faith at the forefront of everything I do,” Thomas says.
Praising his mother and sisters as “incredible,” Thomas says they’ve played a large role in molding his character. “My mom told me every morning before school to remember who I am and whose I am,” he says. “I’ll never forget that.”
Thomas has a long journey ahead, with three years left until graduation, then five years of active duty, followed by three years in reserve. One thing he doesn’t have—doubts.
"This is where I'm supposed to be." 78