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.

From the Record

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