SEAL Team Member ID’d
DoD identified a SEAL Team 6 member who was killed in a raid in Yemen as 36-year-old Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, originally from Peoria, Illinois.
The full story is here: http://www.13newsnow.com/news/military/locally-based-navy-seal-team-6-member-killed-in-raid/394267484
There may be more to come later. The other part of this story, not being quite so widely reported, is that the SEAL Team fought and killed women fighters during that raid on an Al Qaida affiliate in Yemen.
So don’t start with me about women in combat. Those people, the Very Bad Guys, are going to use every damned trick in the book including sending women out to confront you. They know what your weaknesses are and are willing to exploit them. If you don’t think so, you’re very naive.
Category: Navy, Terror War
Rest in Peace, Chief.
From his hometown newspaper. I wrote the story and I am working on a follow which has more details.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/20170130/navy-seal-who-died-in-yemen-raid-was-from-peoria
Andy Kravetz, reporter
Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star
Well written article Andy, thank you.
I envy you your task, Andy. What you write will be a record for his family to safe keep beyond our lifetimes.
Thanks. i do appreciate it. Pass the story along to others so people can get to know him. We’ll update as often as we can.
Sadly, this is about the 30th person I have written about. Back in 2004, I traveled the state and did a series on the first 12 people who died in the Iraqi War. Talked to parents in their homes, wives in yards. It’s the most heart-breaking thing I have done.
One mom left her son’s room the way it was when he left home. It had not changed in almost 18 months.
If you guys hear anything more, please let me know. We want to tell Chief Owens’ story by showing that he’s a person.
It’s my opinion that if we send people off to war, then we should at least take the time to remember them as people, not numbers.
Andy Kravetz, reporter
Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star.
Thanks very much for doing that, Andy.
Excellent writing Andy. Sorry for your community loss.
Well done, Andy.
And God speed, Chief.
“Ryan was a…big Giants fan. He would come to spring training frequently and I had the honor of meeting him and his son in 2012. For me, it is easy to take for granted the life that my family and I get to live everyday. Words don’t do justice for the gratitude that I have for people like Ryan that sacrifice their lives fighting against evil, so that we may live with freedom. Unfortunately for Ryan’s family, they lost a husband and a father this weekend. I can’t imagine the pain they must be going through. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Ryan Owens was a hero that is gone way too soon.”
That’s from SF Giants catcher Buster Posey. I cannot improve upon those words.
where did you find that??
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/buster-posey-pays-tribute-to-navy-seal-killed-in-yemen-142834695.html
Buster Posey is awesome! He’s a class act and a great player-it speaks very highly of him that he remembered Chief Owens and his family and chose to make a statement about his service and sacrifice.
Requiem in Pace, Chief.
May God grant comfort and peace to your family in their grief.
Rest in Peace Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens.
RIP
Fair winds and following seas, Chief.
I don’t know why this one got me so much, but it did. In the past six years, I’ve welcomed too many to this club no one wants to join. Each time, I imagine how it was done in WWl, when a grieving mother or wife would take their Blue Star down and stitch over it in Gold. The thought that the thread shimmered from the tears of grief sown onto the banner both comforts and saddens me. I’m not one for public displays of grief, but this image of letting your grief shine through the symbol seems poetic and dignified.
Pray for this man who lived a life of honor and service. Pray for the family to be able to let that honor and service so freely given soften this unbearable grief.
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Denise Williams
Gold Star Mother
I pause daily to pray for our heroes and those that lost them.
Thank you exOS2
Thank you, Denise.
As the father of an 11-B soldier, I know the fear of getting The Visit.
By God’s grace, I have not – yet. But we sorrow with you who have.
May God continue to bless and comfort you.
Greybeard, I do pray it never comes. The pride of being an 11B parent is awesome. Please enjoy it without fear over a tiny statistic. I know, easy to say which is why I say remember the statistics.
Your too infrequent comments here never fail to give me pause, to make me reflect, and to whisper a prayer for you and all Gold Star Moms, Denise.
Air Cav, your thoughts and prayers mean so very much. Thank you.
You would think once a woman is handed a gun that they would turn it on the men who say they can’t have any freedoms.
Most of the women are as much believers as the men, and quite proud of it, too.
It is very, very hard to defeat an anemic if you do not understand how they think, and what they believe.
They do -not- think like us. They are not misguided. They are as dedicated to their worldview as we are to ours. Mostly, they -like- their worldview.
Think long and hard on that.
Gads! Cant spell for doodly-squat! And the auto-correct mangles it worse!
” how an Enemy thinks ” not “anemic”. Sheesh.
God be with his teammates and loved ones.
May the terrorists scumbags he fought burn in Hell.
Rest well, Chief.
Another Warrior who was taken from us too soon goes on to his place in History and in Valhalla.
Rest In Peace, Chief.
We’ll be having another story soon on the Journal Star’s Web site. Please surf over after I post it. Again, we are trying to show people the humanity and the loss.