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James Ryan was born Nov. 26, 1928 in Portage,
Wisconsin. He graduated from Rantoul Twp. High School in 1946.
Prior to his military service in the Army (1950-51) he was
employed by Beatrice Foods Co.
PFC Ryan place of separation was Camp Atterbury,
Indiana. He did his basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
and was briefly stationed at Camp Stoneman, CA. before being
sent by boat to Japan. PFC Ryan was member of the U.S. Army
7th Cavalry Regiment.
Marj and Jim Ryan (2004)
happily enjoying their retirement.
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Private Ryan was looking forward to his last
day in the field following a six-month stint in Korea (Nov.-1951)
when his captain ordered a group of men to scout ahead for
North Koreans. After a five-mile walk, the group came under
North Korean fire and Ryan got hit by a mortar round in his
right leg. Badly wounded, he put a belt around his bleeding
leg to stop the bleeding and prayed for help. Realizing he
was alone, he crawled and rested and crawled again for about
two hours, until he heard voices of North Koreans.
According to Mr. Ryan, "I called God
again and He said, 'Jim, put your head down and lay quiet
as can be. If they kick you, don't make a noise.' So three
of them came around and they were kicking me like I was a
football," Ryan said. "I guess  they
thought I was dead because finally they left." After
more agonized crawling, night came and with it came welcome
sounds of rescuers calling his name. After a ten-month recuperation
period in the hospital, Ryan returned home to Rantoul in 1952.
Like many veterans, Ryan seldom speaks of
his ordeal. According to his wife, Marj, "Jim still has
trouble with his leg, but we're real thankful he had the strength
and help to make it through. It's lucky he didn't give up.
When I first saw him he wasn't shaven and he was all swollen
from the penicillin they were giving to him because he was
allergic to it. But I'll never forget how it felt when I saw
him smile. I knew everything would be alright."
For his military efforts and sacrifices,
PFC Ryan was awarded the Bronze
Star and Purple
Heart.
Established by General
George Washington in 1782, the Purple Heart is given to
those wounded in action. |
Memorabilia from Private
Ryan's war experience. |
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