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This site is maintained by Sherrie Battle McGhee with assistance from webs.com

This website is a memorial to the life of US Army Cpl. Ryan Casey McGhee 21, of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Ryan was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA and gave his life for all of us on May 13, 2009 from wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces while conducting combat operations in Tikrit, Iraq.

"GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS..." - JOHN 15:13

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I will be the answer, at the end of the line
I will be there for you, while you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty, I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance, If you can't look down...
- Taken for the song "The Answer" by Sarah McLachlan



Ryan's gravesite, March 2012... The final resting place of a young man with a very loyal heart and soul

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There is nowhere you will ever go where your mom's prayers for you have not already been...



Ryan with his Gold Star mom, Sherrie, after his graduation from Massaponax High School in 2006. Sherrie's trust turned this site from an idea to a reality...

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At Christmas, all roads lead home...
- Marjorie Holmes



The Christmas Blanket placed at Ryan's gravesite, December 2011 is from Ryan's mom. The wreath against Ryan's headstone was placed courtesy of Wreaths Across America.
That motto "Ranger's Lead the Way" is just so timeless....

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The Ranger Tab is a service school military decoration of the United States Army signifying completion of the 61-day long Ranger School course in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations.

Those graduating from Ranger School are presented with the Ranger Tab, which is worn on the upper shoulder of the left sleeve of a military uniform, as specified in Army Regulation 670–1, " Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia." Wearing the tab is permitted for the remainder of a soldier's military career. The cloth version of the tab is worn on the Army Combat Uniform and Class-A dress uniform of the U.S. Army; a smaller, metal version is worn on the new Army Service Uniform.

It is currently ONE OF ONLY FOUR permanent individual skill/marksmanship tabs authorized for wear by the U.S. Army.

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"These are men who responded to a different voice..."
- General John Mulholland, Army Special Operations Command




Ryan was among 30 U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers whose names were added to the Fallen Special Operations Soldier Memorial Wall at Fort Bragg. In attendance at the 5/26/11 ceremony were Former presidential candidate Ross Perot, actor Gary Sinise, Ryan's Gold Star mom, and many other Gold Star families.

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Airborne Rangers are brothers who share a bond the average person will NEVER understand...
- Found on airborne-ranger.com, an unofficial site





Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear... - Unknown






The new 3rd Battalion Ranger Memorial at Ft. Benning, GA (top picture) and Ryan's pavers at the memorial (bottom pictures)

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Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower...





A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, nor can a child without his mother's love



The bouquet placed at his gravesite on 11/4/11, which would have been his 24th birthday

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"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons,
they'll turn out to be heroes, in my eyes, your eyes, and everyone's eyes..."
- Walter Schirra




The Ranger Wall of Fame is dedicated to the Fallen Ranger Heroes from all 3 Ranger Battalions. Ryan's picture hangs along with Cpl. Pat Tillman's on
the Wall of Fame at Ft. Benning, GA. Ryan always looked up to the work ethic and toughness that Pat displayed in his football career and, of course,
Ryan shared Pat's commitment to the Ranger Creed. It is poignant and very fitting that Ryan shares a memorial with Cpl. Pat Tillman, because
Pat was Ryan's hero...

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Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives, what we live for, and what we are willing to die for...





Ryan's mom Sherrie, Luke Ryan Gudel (named in honor of Ryan) and Ryan' good friend, Sgt Jackson Gudel. Luke is one of four babies named in Ryan's honor...

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"The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind..."
- John Allston





Ryan's mom Sherrie and Ryan Scott Harmon, son of Cpl Jarratt Harmon and Stacey Harmon. Jarratt wanted to honor Ryan (McGhee), who was his Team Leader.

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Sometimes, no matter how much faith we have, we lose people. But you never forget them...
And sometimes, it's those memories that give us the faith to go on...






A man of courage is also full of faith...
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

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All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word... like - freedom, bravery, and honor...
- Winston Churchill

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"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do..."
- E. Everett Hale





Ryan's mom, Ranger Cory Smith, and Cory's mom Ruth... Cory is running (and biking) 560 miles from Ft Benning, GA
to his home in Indianapolis, IN to bring awareness to veterans transitioning into civilian life. If you look
closely at Cory's right wrist, you'll notice he's wearing Ryan's KIA bracelet... The irony is - Cory had been
wearing this bracelet since the beginning of his run, BEFORE he and Ryan's mom ever met...

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Struggle seems like a never ending process... FREEDOM is earned and won in every generation...
- C.S. King

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"I am deeply moved to have been asked to participate in this absolutely necessary memorial, I can only hope that my participation will help draw attention to the cause and ensure its successful fruition as the nation's first and only such tribute built specifically to these courageous men and women..."
- Gary Sinise




For the past 20 years, actor Gary Sinise has been very active in supporting the troops and military families. After speaking at the Fallen Special Operations Memorial ceremony, Gary signed Ryan's pictures (in the Memorial Program) as a tribute to both Ryan and Ryan's mom, Sherrie.

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"These kids join to fight for The United States of America and all the patriotic terms... But they die for their friends next to them..."
- John Phelps, Gold-Star father




Ryan's mom with SFC Kirk Foster. SFC Foster, with the assistance of other Rangers, was instrumental in moving Ryan to safety the night he died. Foster and other Rangers were wounded by grenade shrapnel while performing their sworn duty: TO NEVER LEAVE A BROTHER BEHIND!

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"Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it's a small price to pay for living a dream..."





Ryan with his RANGER TAB certificate. Ranger School isn't called "61 days of Hell" because it's easy...

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"Before you get a tattoo, make sure you've got an arm worth putting it on..."
- tattoo rule #1 (for guys)




Yes... I think Ryan meets rule #1

Watch a video of Ryan - IN ACTION !

(We have experienced some technical problems with this video, if you get a "page not found" please check back later - webmaster)

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With the support of The American Eagle Foundation, Ryan’s mom released a Bald Eagle (whom she had aptly named “Ranger”) into the wild on 4/17/11 at Douglas Lake in Eastern Tennessee. Click here to watch the video


“We no sooner got the gate up, maybe 30 seconds, and he TOOK OFF ! All I could think of was - Go baby go, Rangers Lead the Way, fly to the heavens, sour high my baby...” - Ryan's Gold Star mom, Sherrie Battle McGhee





"Ranger" just before being released into the wild... With the light of heaven shining through...

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Stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover...

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"Eagles don't flock, you have to find them one at a time..."




I would say after reading the quote above this picture, one would have to agree that RANGERS are like eagles, they are hand picked and the US Army finds them one at a time

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The Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States of America. It appears on most of its official seals, including the Seal of the President of the United States. The Continental Congress adopted the current design for the Great Seal of the United States including a Bald Eagle grasping 13 arrows and a 13-leaf olive branch with its talons on June 20, 1782. The founders of the United States were fond of comparing their new republic with the Roman Republic, in which eagle imagery was prominent.

The Bald Eagle can be found on both national seals and on the back of several coins (including the quarter dollar coin until 1999), with its head oriented towards the olive branch. Between 1916 and 1945, the Presidential Flag showed an eagle facing to its left (the viewer's right), which gave rise to the urban legend that the seal is changed to have the eagle face towards the olive branch in peace, and towards the arrows in wartime.

Contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that Benjamin Franklin ever supported the Wild Turkey as a symbol of the United States over the Bald Eagle. The origin of this claim is a letter Franklin wrote to his daughter in 1784 from Paris. However, this letter was a criticism of the Society of the Cincinnati, and never mentions the choice of the Bald Eagle for the Great Seal of the United States. Franklin opposed the creation of the Society because he viewed it, with its hereditary membership, as a noble order which was unwelcome in the newly independent Republic. The reference to the two birds is a satirical comparison between the Society of the Cincinnati and Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, for whom the Society was named. Franklin viewed the creation of the Society as being contrary to the ideals of Cincinnatus




A fully matured Bald Eagle (on the left) and "Ranger" (on the right). Bald eagles do not get their white mantle until they are approximately 5 years old. Ranger was 15 weeks old at his release.

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Life may (at times) seems like a brief candle. In reality, it is a splendid torch which I hold for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations...




Leon Merrow (left) of Rolling Thunder and Sherrie McGhee. It was such an honor to have a Vietnam War Vet and Rolling Thunder member to be with us to honor Ryan and Ranger...

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"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807), published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, "Amazing Grace" is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

Folk singer Judy Collins is actually credited with the tradition of using the song for honoring military heroes. She said - I didn't know what else to do about the war in Vietnam. I had marched, I had voted, I had gone to jail on political actions and worked for the candidates I believed in. The war was still raging. There was nothing left to do, I thought ... but sing 'Amazing Grace'.




"Amazing Grace" was played (on bagpipes) prior to "Ranger" taking flight...

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I received a call from Al Cecere - President of the American Eagle Foundation today. He stated he received a call from a newspaper from Quebec, Canada inquiring about an eagle that was found dead at a residence in Quebec. Apparently, Ranger must have landed on an eletrical transformer and died instantly. The resident went to great pains to find out as much information about the eagle. Ranger was tagged, so he was able to get the news to the American Eagle Foundation. My heart is broken.

Al did say that this is a record for distance of an eaglet. They did not have on record until Ranger of an eaglet going as far north as Quebec, Canada in such a short amount of time. So, here again...

Rangers Lead the Way!
God Bless!

- Taken from an e-mail from Sherrie McGhee on 6/30/11



Read the story of Ranger's flight as told by The Globe and Mail, a newspaper in Quebec Canada

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Pointe du Hoc (French pronunciation: [pwɛÞt dy ɔk]) is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy in northern France. It lies 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 100 ft (30 m) tall cliffs overlooking the sea. It was a point of attack by the United States Army Ranger Assault Group during Operation Overlord in World War II.

The Ranger battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder. The plan called for the three companies of Rangers to be landed by sea at the foot of the cliffs, scale them using ropes, ladders, and grapples under enemy fire, and engage the enemy at the top of the cliff. This was to be carried out before the main landings... At the end of the 2-day action, the initial Ranger landing force of over 225 was reduced to about 90 men who could still fight.





My father was contacted by one of his friends who knows a man that was a Ranger during the Vietnam War era. His name is Bill Harrell and he was stationed at Fort Benning from 1965-1967. Bill viewed Ryan's tribute website and was touched by it. He wanted to meet me and take something of Ryan's over to France. Bill is attending the 67th Anniversary of D-Day for the re-dedication of the Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc in France. I gave him a picture of Ryan and his KIA bracelet and...





He said he will place Ryan's bracelet where it will remain indefinitely...
- Sherrie McGhee

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"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication..."
- Roger Staubach (2 time Super Bowl Champion)

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"The Kiss" (from The Last of the Mochicans movie) was one of Ryan's favorite songs because it is very Irish (main instrument played is the violin). He was so very proud of his Irish roots.... He was drawn to anything Irish..."

Sherrie Battle McGhee, Ryan's mom, in an e-mail to this webmaster



Arlington National Cemetery, Section 60, on St. Patrick's Day...

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"And God shall wipe every tear from their eyes...and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying... neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away..."

Revelation 21:4




Persons Eligible For Burial In Arlington National Cemetery

(a) Any active duty member of the Armed Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only).

(b) Any retired member of the Armed Forces. A retired member of the Armed Forces, in the context of this paragraph, is a retired member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or a Reserve component who has served on active duty (other than for training), is carried on an official retired list, and is entitled to receive retired pay stemming from service in the Armed Forces. If, at the time of death, a retired member of the Armed Forces is not entitled to receive retired pay stemming from his service in the Armed Forces until some future date, the retired member will not be eligible for burial.

(c) Any former member of the Armed Forces separated for physical disability prior to 1 October 1949 who has served on active duty (other than for training) and who would have been eligible for retirement under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 1201 had that statute been in effect on the date of his separation.

(d) Any former member of the Armed Forces whose last active duty (other than for training) military service terminated honorably and who has been awarded one of the following decorations:

(1) Medal of Honor.
(2) Distinguished Service Cross (Air Force Cross or Navy Cross).
(3) Distinguished Service Medal.
(4) Silver Star.
(5) Purple Heart

(e) Any member of the Armed Forces or Federal Agent killed in the line of duty

(f) Any former Prisoner Of War (POW)

Special thanks to Arlington Florists Inc. for clarification of the above information

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