De Witt Serviceman Killed In Air Crash

Ensign Lawrence J. Ryan, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Ryan of
DeWitt, was killed Saturday afternoon when the TF9-J Cougar jet he was
flying crashed into the Gulf of Mexico southeast of Corpus Christi,
Texas.

It is reported that Ensign Ryan's plane crashed into the water ahead
of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington after it was catapulted from the
carrier deck in a take-off operation.  Ryan ejected from the plane,
but was unable to free himself from his parachute while in the water.

An intensive search was conducted, but Ryan's body was not recovered.

Lawrence Ryan was born in Clinton February 25, 1944 to Joseph L. and
Mary McDermott Ryan.  He graduated from St. Joseph's High School and
Loras College in Dubuque.  He began Navy pilot training at Pensacola
Naval Air Station in Florida in 1966 and was later stationed at
Kingsville, Texas.  On August 12, 1967, he and Randa Schmidt were
married in Anna Marie, Florida.

A Memorial Mass for Ensign Ryan will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday
in St. Joseph's Catholic Church.  A Mass was also celebrated Tuesday
in Kingsville, Texas.

Surviving are his wife; parents; three brothers, Midshipman Dennis
Ryan of the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland and Martin and
Joseph, both at home; three sisters, Mrs. Phil McGrath, Corpus
Christi, Texas, Mrs. Allen Dierksen, Chula Vista, California and
Teresa at home; maternal grandfather, Cleo McDermott and paternal
grandfather, Thomas Ryan of Davenport.

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retyped in 1997 by Dennis Nicklaus from a clipping, pub. unknown,
sent to Dennis by Lawrence's mother, Mary Ryan.
Died March 23 1968

There was part of another clipping which said basically the same thing,
titled "Navy Pilot Dies", maybe from a Corpus Christi paper?
It said about the same things, but also noted:

The accident occurred about 60 nautical miles southeast of Corpus
Christi Naval Air Station. Ryan was qualifying for carrier flight
operations.

Ensign Ryan started Navy pilot training at Pensacola Naval Air Station
after graduating from Loras College, Dubuque, in 1966.


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		    Ryan Appointed to U.S. Academy

The U.S. Navy has notified Dennis Michael Ryan, 17, DeWitt, that he
has been selected for appointment to eh United States Academy, Class
of 1970.

He will be admitted as a Midshipman at the Academy, Annapolis,
Maryland, June 29.

Nomination came from Congressman John C. Culver, of Iowa's Second
District. Final selection was made by the Navy on the basis of
competitive examinations that qualified Ryan as having fulfilled the
high academic, medical, and physical requirements for entrance into
the academy.

Ryan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ryan, 229 First Avenue, is a senior
at St. Joseph's High School and also attends shared-time classes at
Central Community High School.

He is a member of the National Honor Society, St. Joe's glee club,
school newspaper staff, and Central High's science club.  He has been
a class officer each of his four years of high school, and is serving
this year as senior class President. He is active in school sports,
and last year was named "Hustler of the Year" in basketball.
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retyped in 1997 by Dennis Nicklaus from a clipping, pub. unknown,
sent to Dennis by Dennis Ryan's mother. She wrote a note on it,
"Graduated in 1970. Served 11 yrs in US Navy, Pacific Fleet".