Lance Cpl. Jason T. Little Hometown

Spread the Word: Iraq-Nam

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Ryan Burgess laid to rest

EDENVILLE–Marine Lance Corporal Ryan John Burgess made the ultimate sacrifice Thursday, Dec. 21, when his military vehicle struck a roadside bomb while on patrol in Iraq.

Those who knew Ryan best characterized him as an adventurer, a problem solver and a leader through demonstrated action. Ryan has been described as a composite of his mother’s tenacity and grit and his father’s stamina and diplomacy, giving him the unique leadership characteristics that earned him special military commands and authority typically assigned to those of a higher rank. One of Ryan’s greatest attributes was the great concern he demonstrated for his family and frankly anyone that came to know him.

Lance Corporal Burgess volunteered to be a Marine during a time of war because he felt it was an honorable way to serve his country and because, in Ryan’s words, the Marines were the best fighting force in the world.

Ryan’s mother, Kim Burgess, wasn’t happy with her son’s decision to enlist, but she knew this was important to Ryan. He saw this as a time of need; he was never one to step aside.

Proud to be a Marine, Ryan took great pride in representing himself in this regard. To Ryan, being a Marine meant being courageous, and since courage, commitment and honor were key traits of his before becoming a Marine, his military duty merely enhanced those qualities.

Ryan utilized his attributes and specialized training on numerous occasions to take the lead on battle fronts or to provide assistance to save a fellow Marine or civilian in need, all earning him great respect among his platoon. On one occasion, he took action moving from a protected position to provide cover fire while being fired upon in order to save one of his fellow Marines who was trapped and under fire while in Iraq. Such stories had become more common than anyone wanted, but they only proved what Ryan’s family always knew: Ryan was valor and honor and courage and bravery and virtuousness and righteousness all rolled into one. Ryan wasn’t just a hero to his family, but rather a hero to us all.

Before entering boot camp, Ryan shared his entire plan for life: Complete boot camp, serve his country, go to college, start his own business around his love for technical and mechanical work, and start his own family. Not necessarily in that particular order, but he had it all planned down to the last detail, including his plan to propose marriage to girlfriend, Emily Wright. Ryan had planned to address Emily’s father to request her hand in marriage. These examples help define the character of this young man; an inspiration to so many at only 21 years of age.

Ryan grew up in the countryside surrounding Edenville, Michigan, where he could be found – or not – somewhere in the woods or rolling fields, often pursuing game big and small. He also loved riding his ATVs, camping, and leading adventures in the outdoors. Ryan’s love for the outdoors was shared by his father, Jon Burgess, who taught him about guns and how to shoulder a rifle. Jon taught him well. Ryan’s abilities as a hunter were quickly recognized by his Marine instructors as Ryan soared in marksmanship during his training.

Ryan enrolled in nearly every skills training class offered by the Marines and he excelled across the board. Ryan epitomized not only the character that is a Marine, but also the ability. This past November, Ryan was injured when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). He was thrown from the vehicle as it flipped over and he had to dig his fellow Marines out of the sand. Though injured, Ryan saw to it his fellow troops boarded the first Marine helicopter to safety while he returned fire and awaited the second helicopter, which he called "Angels from above." Ryan was awarded the Purple Heart for this incident.

Other awards Ryan received in the two years of his service as a Marine include the Combat Action ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon 2nd award. Ryan will also receive a second Purple Heart for his service.

Ryan was more than just a Marine. Ryan was also the "little" big brother to his sister Lindsey, meaning that even though he was younger than Lindsey, he was always very protective of her like that of a pain-in-the-neck big brother, but Lindsey loved this about Ryan. He was more than just a brother to Lindsey; he was a friend by her side from the very beginning. He was also the savior for his adopted brother. Nicknamed "Motch" because they couldn’t have two "Ryans" in the family, Motch had a need and Ryan found him a home; the rest as Motch puts it is “brotherly love.”

Ryan was saving people stateside long before he was saving troops overseas, and that’s what makes Ryan Burgess a hero to his family as well as to his country. We enjoy our freedoms because of Ryan’s sacrifice. The tragedy of his passing only amplifies what he lived for and it is in these traits of valor and honor and genuine concern for everyone he knew that Ryan will live forever in each of us.

Services for Marine Lance Corporal Ryan John Burgess were held Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 11 a.m. at the Midland Evangelical Free Church. Prior to the funeral service, the family of Lance Corporal Ryan Burgess received friends on Saturday, Dec. 30 at the Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Chapel in Midland.

Ryan Burgess remembered

Charismatic. Mischievous. Loyal.

Burgess, a 21-year-old from Hope Township, loved to have fun, a trait that gave his best friend since third grade, Brian Lincoln, many memories.

The pair came to age down the road and up the hill from each other, separated by a short distance that didn't do much to keep them apart.

"He's really adventurous," Lincoln said, remembering the times they'd go out hunting deer or ducks, building forts or riding quads together at Burgess' home.

"We never went to the mall, we were always out in the woods," he said. "He always wanted to be outside."

Lincoln is still coming to grips with the reality that his best friend is gone, and said Burgess knew he was in danger.

"He told me the last time he came home that he knows he's not coming back," Lincoln said.

Joining up

"I think Ryan needed to find his place," said his first-grade teacher Billie Dush. She remembered him as a little guy who smiled a lot in his younger years. She reached a deeper understanding about him after tutoring him through school and becoming a close family friend.

Burgess could be impulsive, in her words "not always making the right decision but the one to have fun."

He also was the kind of kid who'd rather jump right to the test than mess around with homework. "He drove his mother nuts," Dush said.

He was good with his hands, building with mountains of Lego bricks as a boy, then moving on to high school drafting classes and skilled trades training at the Bay Arenac Skills Center. He excelled so much there that he was awarded for his performance, but never told his mother, who was frustrated to be told by someone else, Dush said.

Burgess found the place he belonged when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Meridian High School in 2003.
"Ryan matured and he came into himself," Dush said. "I think he respected himself."

"He certainly seemed to find his niche in the armed services," Christopher Schram, a high school English teacher, said.

Schram and principal Denny Stine saw Burgess as an intelligent but not academically-motivated student who was in high school just to get it over with.

"He wanted to be out there so badly," Schram said. "He just had to go through high school to get there."

Burgess stopped by the school a few times to visit after graduation, giving Stine a chance to notice he'd come back from the military as a proud, respectful man.

"He was very proud of what he was doing."

Military man

While details of what happened to Burgess had not been released by the military, Dush visited with his family Thursday night after they were contacted by officials and recounted a short version of the story. Burgess was injured about a month ago when the Humvee he was riding in drove over an improvised explosive device. He suffered a severe concussion and leg injuries, and was only out of the hospital about two days when the same thing happened again.

This time, he didn't make it.

"He had just earned a Purple Heart," in connection with the first incident, Dush said.

Burgess served as a sniper, a squad leader for special forces, who won top honors for marksmanship in boot camp, she said. Not even Lincoln is sure of the timelines of how his buddy moved up in ranks, or the name of the special school Burgess attended for training with guns. "It was something different all the time," Lincoln said.

The loss

"It's been a matter of time," Stine said, with so many students joining the armed services after graduation. "You can't be lucky all the time."

Burgess' death is especially tragic because was so young.

"He just started to experience the life he wanted to experience," Schram said.

His smiles, caring and thoughtful nature, courage and fun-loving heart won't be forgotten anytime soon, especially by those who loved him the most.

Lincoln has already found a way to honor his most loyal pal.

He and his wife are awaiting the birth of their son, due on Jan. 17. Lincoln said they had planned to name the baby after family. Instead they are naming him after Ryan. Burgess' family has asked for privacy following his death.

Mejia, Spc. Bobby II Saginaw, Michigan Funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 5, 2007 at the First Baptist Church, 2440 King Road in Bridgeport, Michigan. Rev. R. B. Ouellette will officiate with interment in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call at the Browne's Mortuary, 441 N. Jefferson Ave. on Thursday from 2:00 until 8:00 p.m., where the family will be present at 7:00 p.m. for the family hour. Spc. Mejia passed away on Saturday, December 23, 2006 at the age of 20 years. He was born July 14, 1986 in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Bobby Mejia I and Loueva Hernandez. Bobby was a lifelong resident of Saginaw. He attended First Baptist Church and was employed with the 125th Infantry Battalion of the National Guard. He leaves to cherish his precious memory, his parents, Bobby Mejia I and Loueva Hernandez; grandparents, Roseiro Mejia, Marie Hill and M.T. and Ethel Jones; two sisters, Sparkle Smith and Chrystal Nicole Hernandez; brother, Christopher Ishmael Hernandez; nephew, Marlin Austin Owens; a host of uncles, aunts and cousins, including a special aunt, Brenda Shaffer and many friends, including special friends, Jeremy Grzenia, Marques Harris, D'Marco King and Jonathan Williams. Bobby was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Lupe Mejia and Rev. Dr. Nick Hall, Jr. www.brownesmortuary.com Published in Saginaw News on MLive.com on January 2, 2007

Before he left for Iraq, Chad J. Vollmer realized he hadn't said goodbye to Jill Skinner, a neighbor he called Aunt Jill. On a cell phone, he said he would be right back. She thought he meant months, but a few minutes later he pulled into her driveway. "He started sobbing, I started sobbing _ I said, ''I just love you so much.''" Vollmer, 24, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was killed Dec. 23 in Salman Pak by a roadside bomb. He was in the ROTC in high school and was assigned to Big Rapids. Vollmer wanted to join the U.S. Coast Guard once he was released from duty. He already had served his six years, but was called back for service in Iraq, said Paul Magnan, a friend of the family. He said Chad Vollmer took classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and spent time on boat crews in Grand Haven. He also enjoyed golfing, and took trips with his father, Magnan said. "Just one terrific kid," he said. In his letters home, "he was real positive, how important it was to be there," said his father, Terry. "He just had a great pride in his country." He also is survived by his mother, Sandy.

Funeral services for Sgt. Chad J. Vollmer, aged 24, will be held 10:00 a.m. Thursday at Calvary Church, 777 East Beltline. Visitation will be at the funeral home Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Arrangements by

Posted By: His proud family on May 26, 2007, 4:19 pm

Posted By: His proud family on May 26, 2007, 4:19 pm