Marine Corps Reserve 1st Lt. William C. Ryan, Jr., 25, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was buried May 10, 2017 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.<br /><br />“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” called the forward air controller. “Manual four two is down. Manual four two is down. One good chute.”<br /><br />Marine 1st Lt. Gary Bain hit the ground hard, his arm and leg already broken from the ejection. There was no sign of his fellow crewman from the F-4 Phantom and Lieutenant Bain’s survival radio wouldn’t work. Unable to move, Lieutenant Bain was down behind enemy lines. It was Mother’s Day May 11, 1969 and his 213th bombing mission of the war. It would be his last combat flight.<br /><br />1st Lt. William C. Ryan, Jr. was the radar intercept officer of an F-4B aircraft, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Force 115, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, on a combat mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos. While pulling out of a bombing pass, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The pilot lost control and called several times for Ryan, but received no response. The pilot ejected before the aircraft crashed, and other members of the flight only witnessed one parachute leave the aircraft. The location of the crash site precluded a search and recovery effort, but the pilot was rescued. Ryan was declared deceased as of May 11, 1969.

Marine Corps Reserve 1st Lt. William C. Ryan, Jr., 25, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was buried May 10, 2017 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” called the forward air controller. “Manual four two is down. Manual four two is down. One good chute.”

Marine 1st Lt. Gary Bain hit the ground hard, his arm and leg already broken from the ejection. There was no sign of his fellow crewman from the F-4 Phantom and Lieutenant Bain’s survival radio wouldn’t work. Unable to move, Lieutenant Bain was down behind enemy lines. It was Mother’s Day May 11, 1969 and his 213th bombing mission of the war. It would be his last combat flight.

1st Lt. William C. Ryan, Jr. was the radar intercept officer of an F-4B aircraft, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Force 115, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, on a combat mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos. While pulling out of a bombing pass, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The pilot lost control and called several times for Ryan, but received no response. The pilot ejected before the aircraft crashed, and other members of the flight only witnessed one parachute leave the aircraft. The location of the crash site precluded a search and recovery effort, but the pilot was rescued. Ryan was declared deceased as of May 11, 1969.