Hometown: Mountain View, CA
Branch: U.S. Army 
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division
Military Honors: Bronze Star Medal with Valor & 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: May 30, 2004 - near Najaf, Iraq
Age: 26
Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011

First Lieutenant Ken Ballard was a 4th-generation Army officer. Growing up in Mountain View, California as an only child, Ballard wasted no time after graduating from Mountain View High School in 1995. He immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sworn in by his aunt, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Cathy Patton.

Ballard was assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky, and received basic training as a loader on an M1A1 Abrams tank. His first permanent change of station (PCS) assignment was to Ray Barracks at Friedberg, Germany, where he was a member of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 37th Regiment, 1st Armored Division. While stationed in Germany, Ballard took advantage of the situation during his free time to explore the country. He also visited Austria, France, Greece, and Spain.

In early 1996, Ballard served for several months in Brčko, Bosnia. He returned to Germany, then was sent to Macedonia with United Nations Peacekeeping forces.

After three years of serving, Ballard was accepted into the Army’s Green to Gold (G2G) program, in which active enlisted soldiers have an opportunity to attend college, participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and earn a commission as Army officers.

He returned stateside to study International Relations at Middle Tennessee State, graduating in May of 2002 with a bachelor’s degree, and minors in Economics and History. Ballard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and assigned as a tank commander.

After earning his degree, Ballard completed advanced Army training at Fort Lewis outside of Tacoma, Washington, and Fort Hood near Killeen, Texas. He then returned to Fort Knox and completed Officer’s Advanced Basic Training in February 2003.

Ballard’s plan was to serve in the Army for two more years, then earn a master’s degree and work in Washington D.C.

He returned to Germany and his 2nd Battalion, 37th Regiment, 1st Armored Division—this time as an officer—and prepared for deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They left for Kuwait, and on May 20, 2003, the tanks were offloaded and 67,700 American “boots on the ground” troops started moving toward the capital city of Baghdad, Iraq.

According to Ballard’s mother, Karen Meredith, “Ken was assigned his own platoon—2nd Platoon, part of the Crusaders of Charlie Company in the summer of 2003. He felt a tremendous responsibility in keeping his guys safe from harm. Life was tough in Iraq, with sandstorms and the temperature reaching over 135 degrees outside—and 165 degrees in the tanks—to say nothing of the constant battles they fought.”

Baghdad fell quickly—after just five weeks. With the invasion complete, Al Qaeda fighters poured into Iraq to spark an insurgency against the coalition forces that were led by led by the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Spain, and Poland.

A year later, on April 3, 2004, 1LT Ballard’s battalion had completed its mission, turned in its weapons, and prepared to leave Baghdad for Germany the following week. Families were relieved that their loved ones would be returning from the dangers of the battlefield.

Then came the news on April 15 that 20,000 soldiers from the 1st Armored Division—including Ballard—would have their deployment operationally extended by three months. Ballard’s mother commented, “Ken and his men maintained a good attitude, at least to their families. They felt that their mission was not complete, and they would be able to leave when it was. Every single day in May they were engaged in battle, often for several hours at a time.”

On May 30, 2004, 1LT Ballard lost his life near Najaf, Iraq, in what was first reported as a firefight with insurgents. He was 26 years old.

Some 15 months later, Ballard’s family received news from the Army that he had died of wounds from the accidental discharge of an M240 machine gun on his tank after his platoon had returned from battling insurgents in Najaf.

After giving “the last full measure of devotion” for his country, First Lieutenant Ken Ballard was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery (Section 60, Site 8006) with military honors on October 22, 2004.

Sources
Card photo and story details submitted by Ms. Karen Meredith, 1LT Ballard’s Gold Star Mother.
Arlington National Cemetery: Kenneth Michael Ballard – First Lieutenant, United States Army
Middle Tennessee State University: Ballard, Kenneth M.
Los Angeles Times: Kenneth Michael Ballard, 26
Military Times, Honor the Fallen: Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard
Press and Sun-Bulletin, January 9, 2005: Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard
GOVX blog: A Gold Star Story, by Karen Meredith
Burial Site: Find a Grave