Michael Moses Ward, sole child survivor of Philadelphia’s 1985 MOVE Bombing, dies at 41

Michael Moses Ward, the man known to the world as Birdie Africa after surviving Philadelphia’s 1985 MOVE bombing, died at age 41 aboard a Caribbean cruise ship.

Ward died Sept. 20, 2013, aboard the Carnival Dream. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, investigators found him unconscious in a hot tub. He had been vacationing with his father and relatives.

Preliminary, the Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office described the death as an apparent accidental drowning. A toxicology report is pending.

Michael Ward’s Childhood Before the MOVE Bombing

Ward was born Dec. 19, 1971, to Rhonda Cheryl Harris and Andino Ward. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, his parents named him Olewolffe Momer Puim Ward. The newspaper reported that Olewolffe meant “prince.”

After his parents separated, his mother joined MOVE, adopted the surname Africa and moved into the organization’s compound at 6221 Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia. Ward became known as Birdie Africa.

His childhood inside MOVE was markedly different from that of many other children. In a 1995 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Ward described strict food restrictions, limited schooling and isolation from children outside the compound.

He also recalled troubling experiences that continued to affect him years later. “I’m still afraid of them, of MOVE,” he told the newspaper.

Philadelphia Police Dropped a Bomb on the MOVE Home

On May 13, 1985, a confrontation between Philadelphia police and MOVE ended in a devastating bombing and fire.

Police dropped an explosive device from a helicopter onto the group’s fortified home on Osage Avenue. The resulting fire spread through the residential neighborhood.

According to the City of Philadelphia’s MOVE investigation report, the disaster destroyed 61 homes and killed 11 people, including five children. The destruction displaced approximately 250 residents.

Ward was 13 years old. His mother, Rhonda Africa, died in the fire.

He was the only child to survive. Ramona Africa, an adult MOVE member, was the other person who escaped the burning compound.

The Image That Became a Symbol of the Tragedy

Photographs of officers carrying the badly burned teenager away from the scene became lasting images of the bombing.

Ward suffered burns to his face, arms and torso. Those injuries left permanent scars, according to reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The bombing also left him without his mother and separated him from the only childhood environment he had known.

Afterward, Ward moved in with his father, Andino Ward. He stopped using the name Birdie Africa and became Michael Moses Ward.

Rebuilding His Life After the Bombing

Ward faced significant challenges adjusting to life outside the MOVE compound. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, he had little formal schooling and had not experienced ordinary childhood activities with neighborhood children.

He eventually attended North Penn High School and graduated in 1992. He later served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2001, reaching the rank of sergeant.

The newspaper reported that he worked as an Army cameraman and videographer. After leaving the military, he worked as a long-distance truck driver and barber.

Ward also married and had two children before divorcing in 2005.

May he rest in peace.