Army Pfc. Ryan A. Martin of Mount Vernon, Ohio was a 2000 graduate of Mount Vernon Career Center and Mount Vernon High School. He loved sports and fixing cars. He worked at various jobs, including as a forklift operator and at a printing shop, before deciding to join the National Guard, where he seemed to have found his calling. Ryan's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal for his heroism and service in Iraq. Ryan loved to hunt and work on vehicles, but his true passion was serving his country. Ryan died at age 22 near Samarra, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle. As the crowd of mourners thinned out, the father crouched and pressed his forehead to his son's metal casket, then buried his head in his hands. There's no greater honor than serving your country and dying a hero. Solemn school children and aging veterans stood along the funeral route with American flags and their hands over their hearts. He was buried at the top of a hill not far from where he once lived. Ryan was preceded in death by his grandmother, Elva Jean Boreman.
Army
National Guard's
216th Engineer Battalion
Hamilton, Ohio
Army
National Guard's
216th Engineer Battalion
Hamilton, Ohio
Army Pfc. Ryan A. Martin of Mount Vernon, Ohio was a 2000 graduate of Mount Vernon Career Center and Mount Vernon High School. He loved sports and fixing cars. He worked at various jobs, including as a forklift operator and at a printing shop, before deciding to join the National Guard, where he seemed to have found his calling. Ryan's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal for his heroism and service in Iraq. Ryan loved to hunt and work on vehicles, but his true passion was serving his country. Ryan died at age 22 near Samarra, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle. As the crowd of mourners thinned out, the father crouched and pressed his forehead to his son's metal casket, then buried his head in his hands. There's no greater honor than serving your country and dying a hero. Solemn school children and aging veterans stood along the funeral route with American flags and their hands over their hearts. He was buried at the top of a hill not far from where he once lived. Ryan was preceded in death by his grandmother, Elva Jean Boreman.
Army
National Guard's
216th Engineer Battalion
Hamilton, Ohio
Army
National Guard's
216th Engineer Battalion
Hamilton, Ohio
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