Richard Louis Ryan

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Robert P. Morris on November 29, 2011:

Dick Ryan was my immediate supervisor in the Pentagon while both of us were serving on the Army General Staff some 40 years ago. More importantly, to me, is that Dick was my mentor and good friend. He and Helene were most kind to me and to my late wife, Liz, who passed away seven and a half years ago. When I departed from the Pentagon to become Defense Attache in Malawi and Zambia in 1972, Dick generously gave me his various dress and mess dress uniforms, which he had accumulated when he was previously serving as the Secretary of the General Staff at Headquarters US Army Pacific. This not only saved me a ton of money, but was one more example of what a caring leader and a compassionate person he was. To me, Dick consistently exemplified concern and loyalty for his professional colleagues and subordinates all during his personal and professional life. We first served together in Fourth New Cadet Company at West Point during the summer of 1950. Dick was a first classman and I was a new cadet, but he earned my respect and admiration from those early days in my Army career. I am devastated by Dick's unexpected death and my heart goes out in sympathy to Helene and to his son and daughter. May happy memories sustain them at this sudden death of their loved one.

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