Aloha, Sadly I received an email Wednesday that I've dreaded for some time.
"It is with heavy hearts that we inform you of the death of Command Sargent Major William F. Ryan (RET). On the 23rd of February 2015 he quietly crossed the BAR, as he would say." --Corrine Button (daughter.)
Private Bill Ryan, 1945
I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing "Bill" on several occasions when I was a beat reporter for my first newspaper, the old Hometown News in Melbourne, Fla.
Since then, we became friends and in the years that passed, I featured him several times in my blog - and always regret that I just missed the opportunity to meet him in Arnhem, Holland during the 69th anniversary of Operation Market Garden.
With a twinkle in his eye, Bill said on occasion that he was the original Private Ryan and I will always remember him as a hero, a patriot and a class act.
I will always treasure the letters he typed and mailed to me in response to my emails over the last ten years. (It was always fun teasing him about the more than 50 chapters he'd written in what he called the "book he would never write.")
In his honor, my last post about Bill, (June 6, 2014,) is reposted below the Tennyson poem. Rest In Peace, Command Sergeant Major Ryan. You were truly one of the founding members of the Greatest Generation. ###
Crossing the Bar
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark;
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.
### Seventy years ago today, the Allied invasion of mainland Europe began - and D-Day became an instant part of our global history. From the 156,000 men who stormed the beaches or parachuted into enemy territory, I have the honor of calling one D-Day veteran a friend.
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major (Ret.) William "Bill" Ryan (2006)
U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) William “Bill” Ryan is a sprightly 89, but he lives in Melbourne, Fla., and I'm out here, so I hadn't heard much from Bill this past year. I was a little worried... ...and then, yesterday, I saw this picture (#17 of 31) on a Yahoo! slideshow...
(From Yahoo: Command Sgt Major Retired Bill Ryan, who landed at Omaha Beach 70 years ago tomorrow, kisses a young French boy at a ceremony honoring the First Infantry Division above Omaha Beach June 5, 2014 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France.) My first reaction? Talk about making my day... I punched the air in absolute and pure delight. "You bloody well did it, Bill! You made it to the 70th anniversary!!" (Bill's traveled back in Normandy many times, but had told me on numerous occasions that the 70th would be the last big "hurrah" for many of the remaining WWII veterans.) PS: On D-Day last year, I shared Bill's story. If interested, click HERE. PPS: Want to hear from Bill himself? Check out this 2-min YouTube video (from 2012.) Cheers, Bill. A sincere and heartfelt thanks to you, and all your mates who made it home. Like so many others, I hold dear the memories of all those who paid the ultimate price. We will never forget. ###
Seventy years ago today, the Allied invasion of mainland Europe began - and D-Day became an instant part of our global history. From the 156,000 men who stormed the beaches or parachuted into enemy territory, I have the honor of calling one D-Day veteran a friend.
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major (Ret.) William "Bill" Ryan (2006)
U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) William “Bill” Ryan is a sprightly 89, but he lives in Melbourne, Fla., and I'm out here, so I hadn't heard much from Bill this past year. I was a little worried... ...and then, yesterday, I saw this picture (#17 of 31) on a Yahoo! slideshow...
From Yahoo!: Command Sgt Major Retired Bill Ryan, who landed at Omaha Beach 70 years ago tomorrow, kisses a young French boy at a ceremony honoring the First Infantry Division above Omaha Beach June 5, 2014 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. My first reaction? Talk about making my day... I punched the air in absolute and pure delight. "You bloody well did it, Bill! You made it to the 70th anniversary!!" (Bill's traveled back in Normandy many times, but had told me on numerous occasions that the 70th would be the last big "hurrah" for many of the remaining WWII veterans.) PS: On D-Day last year, I shared Bill's story. If interested, click HERE. PPS: Want to hear from Bill himself? Check out this 2-min YouTube video (from 2012.) Cheers, Bill. A sincere and heartfelt thanks to you, and all your mates who made it home. Like so many others, I hold dear the memories of all those who paid the ultimate price. We will never forget.
I have a neat update, but first can I say a very *Special*
thanks to everyone who contributed to the more than 165 comments on my recent D-Day
post aboutD-Day veteran and friend, U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major
(Ret.) William “Bill” Ryan.
(I felt quite Alex
J. Cavanaugh-ish for at least a full day and even wondered if Elise Fallson would make me a
Mini-Mark… until I realized I would sound like a small store :(
From those in the Blog
Blitz army who answered the call of Allied Supreme Commenter Gen. Donald L. Hammons – to the “civilians”
who follow my blog on a regular basis, your response was amazing – and Bill was
truly appreciative when I talked to him.
I didn’t mention it, but for the last seven years, I’ve made
it an annual tradition to call Bill on D-Day. (Normally, he’s in Normandy or
somewhere else – he’s always invited
to related events in France, England, and Holland – but at least I can leave a
voicemail expressing my appreciation for his service.)
When I called this past Thursday, I was batting .142 (1 for
7), but I scored a home run when, to my delight, Bill answered the phone.
However, instead of being happy, I immediately asked why
wasn’t he over in Normandy? (I’m such a
dork, sometimes.)
“Well, it’s only the 69th anniversary, the big
one is next year,” Bill said. “But I’ll be heading to Holland in September.”
U.S. Paratroopers drop into Holland, Sept. 1944.
Now, I’m nobody’s big gurl’s blouse,
but I gasped (just like they do in the movies.)
“No way,” I said, holding my breath, because there was no way, was there?
“When are you going to be there?” I asked.
“I’ll be in Nijmegen the second week of September. Why?”
(I skipped the gasp and went straight for the
high-pitched squee… which may have
perturbed this old warrior, but he’s a good ol’ sport, is our Bill, so he
ignored my extended use of the higher decibel table.)
“Bill, I’ll be in
Amsterdam the same week (my dad and I have a long-standing vacation rendezvous.)
Nijmegen is only a couple of hours away by train.”
“Well that’s great to hear. We should plan to me--”
I ran over his invitation like a starved ‘80s groupie at a Depeche Mode concert.
“Bill, would it be OK if I tagged along to observe some of
the official events you’ve got going on? Promise I won’t be a pain,” I said,
snapping into full-on reporter mode. “Just me, my camera and a notepad. Two
notepads. Max.”
“Mark, it would be a pleasure, especially after
hearing about your post – and that so many people responded,” said Bill from
a phone in Melbourne, Florida, as we contemplated meeting in the historic Dutch
city of Nijmegen, which is more than 7,300 miles away from Honolulu.
After a few minutes, we agreed to swap travel itineraries and call again soon
to firm up the plans.
After sending Bill my best wishes, I put the phone down –
and the first thing I did was do the giddy dance made famous
(for me) by Laura Linney in Love Actually.
So, now, thanks to all of YOU who responded to the post, I’ve the chance to spend the day with “the other Private Ryan” (and hopefully a
bunch of other WWII veterans) as they participate in official ceremonies remembering
Operation Market Garden,
(September 17– 25, 1944.)
I flopped on the couch and contemplated the possibilities as
a kid-in-the-candy-store smile spread across my face like a slow Hawaiian sunrise.
Today, sixty-nine years ago, up to 4,000 American troops
died on the beaches of Normandy – in one
day.
D-Day.
I have the honor of calling one D-Day veteran a friend, U.S.
Army Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) William “Bill” Ryan.
U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) William "Bill" Ryan
Bill is a sprightly 88-year-old, retired Florida resident, but one who most
definitely still enjoys traveling to different parts of the world. (Currently, he’s trying to figure a way to
get over and see us here in Pearl Harbor :)
I first met CSM Ryan when I was a beat reporter for Hometown
News, a weekly, which at the time had nineteen issues and a circulation of more than
500,000 copies a week.
I interviewed CSM Ryan several times over the course of a
few months, and thought it would be appropriate, on this D-Day anniversary, to
pull together some highlights of the two interviews.
However, before I do, why don’t you meet CSM Ryan yourself. Click here for this amazing, two-minute video clip from October 2012.
(Go on. I'll wait :)
For my full print interviews, click here and here.
And now, for some highlights of the 2006 interviews:
A career soldier and veteran of
three wars, retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William Ryan, who served his
country for more than 30 years, walked a personal memory lane
during a recent visit to Melbourne's Liberty Bell Memorial Museum. CSM Ryan
said he’s looking forward to sharing some of his experiences with other local
veterans.
"They say a stranger is only a
friend you have yet to meet," he said. "I appreciate the invitation
and always enjoy these informal talks [at the VFW posts.] Staying busy helps me feel young and
definitely keeps me out of trouble."
One memorable occasion when he found
himself in a literal boatload of trouble was during the early morning hours of
June 6, 1944. During the initial phase of D-Day, historians have said the
armada carried more than 156,000 Allied troops into France.
Ironically, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,
supreme commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, originally picked June 5 as the “unalterable”
date. As the day approached and troops began to embark for the crossing, bad
weather set in, threatening dangerous landing conditions.
U.S. Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Courtesy army.mil)
After tense debate, Eisenhower
decided on a 24-hour delay, requiring the recall of some ships already at sea.
"Because of the rescheduled
date, we ended up stuck on our transport for quite a few days," said then-Pfc. Ryan, a young Army private assigned to Company I, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. "Many men were sick from the
cramped quarters and the rough seas. But, once we loaded
the boats and formed up for the 12-mile run to our assigned spot on Omaha
Beach, things became much worse."
Assured of a break in the
weather, Eisenhower is said to have begun the largest amphibious attack in
history with the simple command: "OK. Let’s go."
So, in the early morning hours of June
6, 19-year-old Pfc. Ryan disembarked from his transport
ship into a 36-foot "Higgins boat," or Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel.(
LCVPs carried about 36 combat-equipped infantrymen, or 8,000 pounds of cargo
from ship to shore.)
Pfc. Ryan's boat was one of more
than 3,000 landing craft, 2,500 other ships and 500 naval vessels - escorts and
bombardment ships that had left several English ports earlier.
Throughout those early hours, 822
aircraft, carrying parachutists or towing gliders roared overhead to the Normandy
landing zones, a fraction of the air armada of 13,000 aircraft that would
support D-Day. However, Pfc. Ryan said he was more concerned with what was
going on at sea level.
"Once we departed the lee side
of the transport, we were like a cork in a bathtub," he said.
"Everyone who wasn't already sick immediately became ill. I was lucky -
prior to my enlistment in the Army, I had served in the Merchant Marine."
On the way in to the beach, Pfc.
Ryan said he saw two boats lost to the high waves. Then the drivers of the four
remaining boats became disorientated due to a missing patrol boat that was
supposed to ensure they were on course to hit their assigned area.
View from inside a "Higgins" LCVP (Courtesy army.mil)
"The beach was also covered
with haze and smoke from the aerial bombardment, making identification of
landmarks impossible," he said. "Add to all of this a strong current,
and we ended up two miles off course to the east."
Retracing the route took time. When
they got back on course, another two rifle companies had already landed and
thus fouled up their landing beach, codenamed FOX GREEN.
"We were circling around like
great big sitting ducks,” he said.
He finally ended up on the beach,
but only after the landing craft suffered heavy damage due to the continuous
barrage of heavy fire by German soldiers.
According to Encyclopedia
Britannica's guide to the Normandy invasion, Omaha Beach was the second among
the five landing areas of the assault. The beachhead was attacked, in part, by
the U.S. 29th and 1st infantry divisions, many of whose soldiers drowned during
the approach from ships offshore, or were killed by defending fire from
embedded German troops atop the beach.
"Everything was crazy during
the last few yards of our approach," he said. "Then our boat was hit.
I was knocked unconscious and injured."
(He jokingly calls himself the “other Private Ryan.”)
"No, it wasn't me, but
(Stephen) Spielberg got it 99 percent right when he made the 1998 movie,
Saving Private Ryan," he said. "Everything was going crazy, and I
was knocked unconscious and injured when my boat was hit trying to get closer
to the beach."
What was the missing one percent in Saving Private Ryan?
CSM Ryan said it was the "Tommy
gun," an American-built Thompson .45 caliber submachine gun that was
standard issue during the war.
"All through the movie, they
never had to reload, not once," he said. "The Tommy gun was a good
gun, but it wasn't that good. I wish." He later discovered two men from his
boat dragged him ashore, placing him against a small embankment.
On D-Day, Wounded soldiers Were Pulled Toward the fight...
"To this day, I've never met
those two guys, but they sure did save one Private Ryan that day.”
Before he was evacuated back to England
later that night, he had a front row seat and observed all the organized and
mass confusion around him, not only on the beach, but in the water.
"Boy, if only I had a tape recorder
or a movie camera.”
Wounded Soldiers on D-Day Await Evacuation (Courtesyarmy.mil)
###
After recovering, Pfc. Ryan was
assigned to the 508th Airborne Infantry Regiment. He combat jumped into
Nijmegen, Holland, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge before ending in
Czechoslovakia at the end of the war.
While members of the media always
contact him around the anniversary of D-Day, when it comes to
what the armed forces accomplished during that dark period of the nation's
history, CSM Ryan said he's detected a general note of apathy among the
American public.
"I'm a representative of
another generation. That's why I like to speak to groups. I'm trying to ensure
our contributions will be remembered," he said. "I hope, by sharing
my experiences of the past, that I'm contributing to the future."
###
The last time we corresponded (I send an email… and
about a week later, a typed letter arrives at my door... which is awesome on
many different levels) Bill said he’s on Chapter 53 of a book “I swear I’m not writing.”
Boy, wouldn’t *that* be a story to read.
There’s also another reason why D-Day is very personal to me.
Holland was officially liberated May 5, 1945, but the first
Allied troops entered the Netherlands Sept. 9, 1944, on a reconnaissance
patrol. A small part of Limburg (in the southeast) was liberated by the U.S.
30th Infantry Division Sept. 12, 1944.
My father was born three
weeks later, Oct. 2, 1944, in Amsterdam, Holland.
Da is on the RIGHT (Holland) - circa 1960)
Me and Da (Ireland, 2005)
Ultrasound of Son No. 1 (Mama's Tummy, 2007)
So, Bill, I dedicate this post to you, and all your
warrior-brothers who fought for freedom on D-Day – and to all the men and women
back in the homeland who kept the ammo coming and the tanks rolling.
CSM Ryan, you and your peers really are founding members of
the Greatest Generation.
And, I thank you, and all D-Day veterans who read this, for their
service and their sacrifices.
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