I know that in the episode where Beaver goes into Ward's trunk there are pictures of June and they met in college, but I am not sure if it was ever said on the show.

My guess would be that Ward went to college before he went to the Pacific theater.

When asked ( in so many words ) by Beaver why he was was a surveyor/engineer and not involved in shooting/fighting, Ward replied that they put people to use where they were most useful to them. I doubt that if Ward, as a HS grad of Shaker Heights, told the service that he had a scholarship to go to college to be an engineer that they'd assign him to an engineering detail based on that alone.

Just my hunch.

Considering Ward's age at the time of the show, he would have been considerably past college age by the time WWII rolled around, so he would have gone to college before. And don't you need an engineering degree to do what he did in the war?

How old was Ward supposed to be at the beginning of the series? I would say that he was about 38 in 1957 meaning 13 years earlier in 1944 during the war we had he was a SeaBee he would been 25 which in turn means he would have been 21 in 1940. How were they supposed to been married in 1957 any more 15 years?What Navy rating would he have had?

Since the show was all about the boys and their friends, the ages of Ward and June aren't really known.

But taking your ages at face value, he could have graduated from State in 1940, and married June in 1942. It could have been a quickly planned wedding, since at some point after the US declared war on 12-8-41, Ward could have been drafted (or he may have enlisted in the Seabees).

Also since he said he was an engineer, he probably was an officer.

Hugh Beaumont was 48 in 1957. I was just taking his age as the age of his character. Why should the character be ten years younger than Hugh's actual age? Is it implausible he would have served in the war in his thirties?

Weirdly in the New Leave It To Beaver episode Ensign Cleaver, Ward and June meet for the first time after he's already an officer, and June is working with the USO.

June with the USO matches up with some dialog of hers in LITB.

A man in his 30s serving in the war isn't unusual, but if he graduated from State close to that time, 30s is a little old for that.

Weirdly in the New Leave It To Beaver episode Ensign Cleaver, Ward and June meet for the first time after he's already an officer, and June is working with the USO.

Hmm, to be an officer did one have to be a college grad or have worked their way up the military ranks which would have taken a long time?

This doesn't clear anything up as far as how much time to work oneself to officer status if they are not a college grad.

https://www.todaysmilitary.com/joining-eligibility/becoming-military-officer


I think it Ward's case he would have been a college grad before the military.

Wait, I found this. If their rules are still the same then Ward WAS a college grad before the military.
https://usmilitary.com/become-a-navy-officer-with-a-college-degree/

As a former GI (1970-1972) I'm old!!! If Ward was measuring dirt as Beaver said, he more than likely was an enlisted man. But who knows the series lacked consistency and continuity , If he was 37 or 38 in 1957 he would be 25 or 26 when the war ended in'45, definitely college grad age. If indeed he graduated college he would have been an officer. In the Viet Nam era few enlisted men became officers (they were called Mustangs)