Shelton Ware was born in January 1923 in Neptune, New Jersey, to Shelton Ralph Ware and Zenobia Kelley Ware. He was one of five siblings and spent most of his life in New Jersey, where he attended public schools, including Monmouth Junior College (now Monmouth University).
In 1942, Ware's life changed course. Though college provided a valid exemption from the draft, he chose to serve regardless. He joined the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps on April 1, 1942, and began active duty in 1943.
By November 1943, Ware was assigned to the 3420th Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company in England. In a CSPAN interview, he shared, “My specialty was small arms. Give me anything from a .22 to a .75 mm Howitzer, and I can do a job on it.”
Ware served as a weapons and vehicle maintenance technician, making history with the Red Ball Express, a unit named for the red balls marking its routes and vehicles. The unit was largely composed of African American soldiers, and its mission was to deliver vital supplies—rations, fuel, and ammunition—to France during World War II. The military was segregated at the time, and Ware recalled, “We fought two wars. You had to fight segregation and the enemy to protect yourself and your fellow soldiers.”
During his 26 months of service, Ware was stationed in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany, and he participated in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of Northern France. He left the military in 1946.
After his service, Ware adjusted to civilian life and completed his studies at Howard University, graduating with honors. While at Howard, he also joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1948.
On July 13, 1948, Ware and five of his classmates reported to the 332nd Fighter Wing at Lockbourne Army Base, Ohio. He later spent three years as Director of Training at Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, and in the early 1960s, he served with the Tuskegee Institute AFROTC program in Alabama.
Returning to the Washington, D.C. area, Ware taught as an AFROTC Professor of Aerospace Studies at Howard from 1969 to 1972. He retired from the USAF in September 1974, after thirty years of military service.
In retirement, Ware continued his education, earning an MBA from Howard University in 1981, followed by an MPA and a Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California in 1995. He was happily married to Vivian A. (Lindsay) Ware for 46 years until her passing in 1994.
Ware passed away in September 2024 at the age of 101.
