- https://sperryr.com/1RW8/Image/USS-Arizona-PHX.jpg
~ ~ Veteran & Military Commemoration ~ ~
Ryan has been laid to rest in Riverside National Cemetery.
Please visit the Link below to Celebrate Ryan's Life.
~ ~ ~
Select the buttons below to go to the website
Images and Video Below
Select the buttons or images below to go to the website page. The images were taken at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 on the day of the attack. There are also rare photos from the Pacific Theatre of the war.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
Frank Sinatra said that there were a million guys who got some "dust" in their eyes when they heard this song for the first time. Please enjoy and God Bless America.
Side Note: At 4:20 in the video, there is a young actor named Ronald Reagan sitting and reading the "Hollywood Variety".
HISTORICAL FOOTAGE Go to additional video created on VJ Day, August 14th, 1945 in Honolulu Hawaii. This is a great piece of History. It was produced in Kodachrome COLOR. This was written by Richard Sullivan: "65 years ago my dad shot this film along Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki, capturing spontaneous celebrations that broke out upon first hearing news of the Japanese surrender. Kodachrome 16mm film: God Bless Kodachrome right?. I was able to find an outfit (mymovietransfer.com) to do a much superior scan of this footage to what I had previously posted. So I did this film and replaced the older version. There are more still images from this amazing day., in color, at www.discoveringhawaii.com"
Ryan has been laid to rest in Riverside National Cemetery. Go Here for a Tribute to Ryan.
This is an article I wrote to honor those Veterans and those who tend the graves of our Veterans who have passed-on and are buried in Riverside National Cemetery. "Reflections On The Real Meaning Of Memorial Day".
~ ~ ~
Now that my son has passed on, I am visiting these pages more often.
Go Here for a Tribute to Ryan.
As you look at the images, notice the close resemblance of my father and son in these pictures.
Ryan has been laid to rest in Riverside National Cemetery.
Go Here for a Tribute to Ryan.
As the saying goes …"Once a Marine, always a Marine." Ryan enlisted in the Marines in 1999. Ryan throughly checked out every branch of service before deciding on the Marines. He received his initial training at Camp Pendleton and went on to receive additional training. Ryan's goal was to be part of the Marine Security Forces. Those are the troops who protect our embassies, White House and other facilities including American facilities in foreign countries.
After his training, he was stationed in the Middle-East, Bahrain, at the Monai Compound. At the time (before 911), This was the third highest worldwide threat to our troops. You could see Iran from Bahrain.
While Ryan was in Bahrain, the USS Cole was bombed on October 12, 2000. He volunteered to guard it from additional threats but he was on duty and was turned down. Other Marines from his unit were assigned because it was the closest point to the terrorist attack.
A day does not go by that I do not think about him and cherish the time we were able to spend with him on this earth.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
After 2 years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as Guard of the Tomb. there are presently only 400 worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. They are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.
There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft and Joe Lewis (the boxer). Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
The guards respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marking in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that glaring the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
The Desks - A Lesson About Freedom
On the first day of school, teacher Martha Cothren did something her students would never forget. When they entered her classroom, every desk had been removed. She told them they could not have a desk until they could explain how they had earned the right to sit in one.
Throughout the day, the students offered answers. Good grades? Good behavior? Hard work? Each time, she told them they had not found the answer.
At the end of the day, the classroom door opened and a group of military veterans entered, each carrying a school desk. One by one, they placed the desks back into the classroom.
Mrs. Cothren then explained the lesson. The students had not earned those desks. The freedom and opportunity to sit in a classroom, receive an education, and live their lives in a free country had been secured by generations of men and women who served in our Armed Forces.
It was a simple lesson, but a powerful one: Freedom is not free.
The rights and freedoms we enjoy every day were purchased through sacrifice, courage, service, and, for some, the ultimate price. The best way we can honor our veterans is not only by thanking them, but by remembering what they protected and never taking those freedoms for granted.
FYI - There’s an additional detail that makes the story especially meaningful: Cothren herself had a strong connection to the military. She taught military history, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars named her an Arkansas Teacher of the Year for 2005–2006.
It’s a powerful story because she didn’t simply tell the students to respect veterans — she created a moment they were unlikely ever to forget.