Pfc. Ryan Grady Killed In Afghanistan: Vermont National Guardsman's Body Brought Back To U.S.

Army Pfc. Ryan J. Grady's body was brought to U.S. soil Sunday when the aircraft carrying the slain soldier, father, brother, and husband landed at Dover Air Force Base.

Grady, who was 25, died last Friday when the vehicle he was riding in was struck by a improvised explosive device, reports Vermont's Rutland Herald. Four others were seriously injured.

Grady lived in West Burke, Vermont. Once a member of the Oklahoma National Guard, he chose to enlist in the Vermont National Guard because he had heard that the group was likely to see action in Afghanistan, reports the Tulsa World.

Grady, who was one of three brothers enlisted in the military, ate breakfast with his brother Kevin Grady, on the morning of his death. Both served in Afghanistan for the Vermont National Guard.

James Grady, Ryan's brother, described their father's grief to the World. "My dad is not doing very well," James Grady said. "It's the first time I've ever heard him cry."

Grady was an Iraq war veteran and had already received a purple heart for the shrapnel wounds he suffered when the vehicle he was in was struck by an IED.

Grady, a private first class, leaves behind a wife and a six-year-old daughter. He received a posthumous promotion and will be buried as a specialist.

Comments

[Albert Amato]

07:52 AM on 07/08/2010

http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-messenger/36286/main
Saw this Netflix DVD last night...very moving and insightful for my wife and me.....and we both lived on USAF bases toward the end of Vietnam.
This is about the visitation to the next of kin after their loved one was KIA in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Two of the best performances and a touchy subject......if you care, check it out.

[awlff]

01:01 AM on 07/08/2010

repost obamalove69 ......to awlff

I am a retired CSM, 100% P&T.

If you follow my comments back to yesterday you will find me being vilified by your fellow liberals for suggesting that you and I served our country out of honor and love for it. Then attacked for pointing out that my intention was to link the thread to my comrades still in the fight.

Hate mongering is especially egregious when is used as a political tool to keep a minority under control and as a reliable quantity on election day.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I did go back and read some of your other posts.I was surprised to see one of your posts word for word the same as many of mine on Huffpost.Except I used the word Republican where you used the word Liberal. I have urged Americans to write their representatives and demand higher colas for military enlisted,better benefits for veterans and active service members.
When I saw that you used "liberals" as a derogatory I was filled with righteous indignation.
I am a product of a military and law enforcement upbringing and for me that means the assistance and health care for public servants was never adequate.
It seems to me many veterans and military members are as politically divergent as the rest of our nation.But I do not feel comfortable with this level of polarization over military support and political activism.

[OBAMALOVE69]

06:54 AM on 07/08/2010

When you went back and read my rebuttals, then you surely had to have read these.......

*******************************************************************************
This thinking is distorted and pathetic, and I do not support the troops, nor do I admire soldiers. They are part of the problem. They should get a better education, take out loans and make something out of their lives, instead of following orders from some m0r0nb with metal stickers on his chest, who follows orders from the 'Commander in Sane', who follows orders from BP, Exxon, and Walmart.

That's it from me. Its a fruitless attempt. You think you are a hero? Heroes are children in mens bodies who never grew up.”
***********************************************************************************

or

*************************************************************************************
“Do you feel good about the permanent disability?

Hero !”

*****************************************************************************************

And as a former Marine, you became indignant with me? You thought you needed to explain to me what I could do to be a better citizen?

Does it make you proud that many of your fellow liberals here consider you a fool, at best?

[awlff]

01:10 PM on 07/08/2010

Yes I confess to being indignant with your use of liberal as a derogative.I am trying to admit my bias by relating how I reacted to labels and not the whole discussion.And yes I thought to give you a civics lesson.That was before reading the rest of your posts.
What other people think of my service or me because of it only impacts me if their opinions are reasoned and not based on what I consider to be hate and fear based ideology.If they think me a fool what do I care?Nothing for I am proud from the inside out not the outside in.
And in a pinch I can find supporting Americans that lavish praise for my small duty to service.I care not their political party.Only that they use empathy and respect in dealing with others.
I want to tell you I value and respect you and your service to our country above any differences in our opinions.I believe your sacrifice and experience are important to this society.People on this post that are hating Military members and Veterans may call themselves liberals but I think taking refuge in a label is not honorable.

[wcoffey20]

04:40 AM on 07/06/2010

All Americans should feel very humbled by the sacrifices made by Our Brave Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.They must never be forgotten.They must know that we stand beside them in their time of need.

[Beowoof]

05:05 AM on 07/06/2010

I agree! I ran into a soldier who was in Marjah who felt like what goes on over there doesn't exist over here unless you're from a military family. I just reminded him that many of us were well aware and that they were in our thoughts and prayers.

[Paul Berry]

09:36 AM on 07/07/2010

heavy stuff

[sheoples]

11:32 PM on 07/05/2010

stockholm called....they want their peace prize back from obama.

[ericthebody]

10:07 PM on 07/05/2010

"In death, members of Project Mayhem have a name. His name is Ryan Grady."

Congrats to Huffington Post for doing what too many news organizations fail to do: put a human face on the suffering this war is causing. It becomes numbing when facing the four thousand and something who died here and the one thousand or something who died there. As far as I'm concerned, every soldier who dies in a foreign war should get a full-page obituary in every paper nationwide. That way we really understand the cost. Maybe the innocent civilians who die as "collateral damage" should be mentioned by name, too.

[sheoples]

11:32 PM on 07/05/2010

2x

uh...........robert tillman comes to mind.........

[sheoples]

11:32 PM on 07/05/2010

ops pat

[HekmagaJuximakLives]

07:16 PM on 07/05/2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzaNWO6gufA

[Rubyfoo]

06:32 PM on 07/05/2010

I wish we'd stop referring to "fallen" soldiers and call them by the starkly accurate term, dead young men. That might seem rather harsh, but it would interfere would our tendency to paper over the mess and continue in relative denial about the cost of war.

[changeup]

07:33 PM on 07/05/2010

By all means, wipe your politcal/a.s.s. with the honorable life of a soldier who believed he was doing right. And, he was right to believe it. Take your agenda elsewhere.

[sheoples]

11:35 PM on 07/05/2010

2x

dead men.........who died in vain.

truth hurts.........some are more willing to accept it than others who hide behind lies of patriotism.

[WSWatchdog]

05:53 PM on 07/05/2010

See Cindy Sheehans Peace Rally at the White House at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLmEAdQJejU&feature=player_embedded#!

[sheoples]

11:36 PM on 07/05/2010

2x

i applaud anyone who has the balls to stand up to the gov't

but....

protests are like flashmobs.....small is pathetic.........the larger the more epic

[heineken]

05:22 PM on 07/05/2010

i would just like to say he was a great man. i grew up with him in bristow oklahoma. he was always kind and caring and willing to help anyone out. he was also a true american hero for all he done overseas. thanks ryan for everything!

[changeup]

06:24 PM on 07/05/2010

Thank you for sharing. Sorry for your pain.

[pokey86]

07:30 PM on 07/05/2010

Ryan was one of the greatest friends anyone could have he was always there for me, We spent many of nights in high school just driving around in that old white regal.

I'm to have been able to call ryan a friend/family. I begged him not to marry my sister, but in the end, I'm truly happy he did. Lexi is one of the sweetest kids in the world and her daddy really loved her.

[changeup]

07:37 PM on 07/05/2010

I'm so sorry for your loss. You will live with the knowledge that Ryan was and is a true American Hero. Please let Lexi know he is in the prayers of this stranger to you.

[changeup]

07:38 PM on 07/05/2010

I neglected to add, Lexi is in my prayers tonight. Again, so sorry.

[LateBoomer2]

05:10 PM on 07/05/2010

Condolences to his family. Whatever anyone thinks of this war, he did his duty and deserves all honor and respect.

[changeup]

05:00 PM on 07/05/2010

To the parents of Ryan Grady. Thank you for sharing your son with us, though for far too short of time. He made more of an impact on this world and in living his life the way he did in 25 years than most of us could ever who have lived far longer. Bless you Ryan and bless your family. n

[Jim Shaffer]

03:37 PM on 07/05/2010

IED's are still the number one cause of death and dismemberment in this war. Another courageous young life extinguished. Let us hope there is never a shortage of courageous young people willing to risk it all for their nation. Regardless of how you feel about the war, these people inspire with their example and their sacrifice.

[Balzac]

02:40 PM on 07/05/2010

Pfc. Ryan Grady already had been wounded and had earned a Purple Heart in Iraq. Somehow he found his way to a very dangerous job. There are too many guys in the military being relied upon to face risk again and again, after they've already done far more than their share of service in national defense.

[JLGiroux]

11:41 PM on 07/07/2010

I know what you mean. My husband has alread served 3 times. They just get so worn and tired. Not everyone understand the stress that these men and women face everyday when they go to awful countries.

[OBAMALOVE69]

02:18 PM on 07/05/2010

It is the smug condescension of a few that tends to give liberalism a bad name.

Old soldiers like myself make sure these sorts of comments are linked and get out to my comrades in the field.

They often go viral in minutes and are the best recruiting tool available for young idealistic soldiers that may have thought the democratic party cared about them.

[changeup]

04:49 PM on 07/05/2010

I agree, and may I thank you "old soldier" for your service.

[BegintheRapture]

08:45 PM on 07/05/2010

I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect but I am having a hard time deciphering this post. Are you saying that the democratic party doesn't care about soldiers or they do care about soldiers? What is it that you are trying to let young idealistic soldiers know? I would appreciate clarification and thank you in advance.

[OBAMALOVE69]

02:57 PM on 07/07/2010

I think it is important for young soldiers to read these boards and see what democrats really think of them.

[Logos Land]

12:42 PM on 07/05/2010

It's always amazing to me to see how people can blame everyone in the world for this Patriots death, except the Taliban virus that detonated the explosive that tore him up. People don't understand the evil of the Taliban and radical Islam. Read foreign news, its shocking in the brutality of details that gets obscured in our coverage. And have you ever seen news videos of their executions and BRUTAL murders. It quite possibly is the most dangerous, evil, and meanest place and ethos on earth.

[LogicJack]

12:48 PM on 07/05/2010

Very true a shame to denigrate those that serve under the guise of we support them. shamefull my friend shamefull. Those who stich up for them have been so maligned on this comment section dont understand the thinking and no compassion for this man or his family.

A VET from a family of VETS with many who made this sacrifice in the last century and then some.


Rest In Peace PFC Grady You are another of the ultimate Patriots.

[changeup]

03:00 PM on 07/05/2010

Great comment.