On Tuesday-14-January crews installed the permanent Memorial to 1st Lt. William Ryan USMC. This is located in Olsen Park next to the roadway that crosses the Hackensack River that is dedicated to Lt. Ryan. The memorial is to remember the former Bogota resident who paid the ultimate price for serving his Country. Lt Ryan was shot down in his F-4 Phantom over Laos on 11-May-1969. He was listed as Missing in Action because there were not remains that could be positively identified. In January of 2016 investigators searched the crash site area and were able to recover human remains. A year later they were identified as those of Lt Ryan. Finally, on Wednesday -10-May the remains of 1st Lt William C. Ryan USMC were laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery
On Saturday-21-April, one day after the opening, the Lt. William C. Ryan (USMC) Bridge was rededicated as a Landmark and Historical place.
The memorial to Lt Ryan is a two-piece sculpture. The lower section is a gray marble stone with the original plaque that dedicated the bridge in his honor in October of 1990. The plaque was removed for safety while a new bridge was put in place. The top cap is of a black marble and is slightly tilted so that anyone standing in from of it can read the inscription. The inscription reads: In Memory of USMC First Lieutenant William C. Ryan Jr. Recipient of 15 Air Metals and few over 300 Combat Missions. Downed aircraft in Laos near the north Vietnam Border May 11, 1969, Missing in Action -48 years Returned and laid to rest May 10, 2017, Arlington National Cemetery. New bridge dedication April 21, 2018. Also inscribed on the top slab is a photo of Lt. Ryan in his dress uniform and an image of an F-4 Phantom similar to the jet he flew on duty.
At this time landscaping and a dedicated of the memorial to Lt Ryan is planned, no details have been confirmed.
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| an American Bald Eagle "Billy" overlooking the memorial |
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please contribute at: donate to Bogota Blog NJ )
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