Original watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper mounted to cardstock, depicting a young World War One soldier parading an American flag. A note on the verso states that Ward created the image in eighth grade, and later gave it as a gift to a classmate. Although partially unfinished, the design shows remarkable promise, even hinting at Ward's later, softer style applied to his illustrations for books such as the Heritage Press' edition of Lord Jim and William Morrow & Co's 1947 edition of North Star Shining. Extremely faint marginal soiling and staining, else a fine, fascinating, and rare look at a renowned illustrator's youthful years. 14 x 9 in.