Midafternoon on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, Bristow Post 3656 Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, VFWA, held a ceremony as they placed a new monument in honor of local fallen soldier United States Army Specialist Ryan J. Grady, who served his country in Iraq with the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2006.
Additionally, Grady was awarded a Purple Heart and later perished in 2010 at age 25 in service with the Vermont National Guard while serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom with the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The monument placed in his honor was provided by his
See VFW, Page Four mother and VFWA member, Debra Grady, of Bristow.
Ms. Grady stated that she purchased the monument with a portion of the money she received from his military-provided life insurance policy. She purchased the stone from Hutchins-Maples Matherly Funeral Home on North Chestnut for around $650. The monument was placed on VFW Post 3656 grounds to the north of the building with Lake Massena sitting to its northwest. Further, Grady briefly spoke in her son’s honor during the ceremony.
According to VFWA members Virginia Ray and Margaret Foster, ceremony speakers also included U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Carl Chasteen, who served as guest speaker, and VFW Commander Scot Thompson. Representative Kyle Hilbert, Mayor Kris Wyatt, and District VFW President Marc Fisher also attended the ceremony but did not speak. VFWA members Ruth JayTanie, Carolyn Kuykendall, Mary Stubblefield, and Sheryl Cortez attended as well in honor of Grady and support of Ms. Grady and the VFWA organization.
The monument placement ceremony lasted around half an hour with approximately 50 in attendance, including speakers, distinguished guests, VFWA and VFW members, and members of the community. The VFWA served cake, cookies, and tea, following the ceremony.
If Grady’s name sounds familiar, it should. He has been honored in multiple different ways in and around the community in recent years. On October 15, 2020, Bristow Mayor Rick Pinson presented Ms. Grady with a proclamation in honor of her son, who made the ultimate sacrifice. For Memorial Day 2021, local American Legion organizations and Billy Ledbetter, former caretaker of Bristow City Cemetery, honored him with a personalized KIA, killed in action, flag and brick at the base of the American flagpole at the cemetery. One year ago this month, a section of Route 66 was dedicated and renamed in his honor as well.
Regarding that most recent honor last year, local historical researcher and VFWA charter member Letha Caudle, initiated the application into having a section of Oklahoma’s highways dedicated to Spc. Grady’s honorable service and sacrifice. Oklahoma Senator Todd Gollihare and Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert fulfilled the application, renaming a section of Route 66 in Bristow. The newly named Army Spc. Ryan J. Grady Memorial Highway fills the section of Oklahoma Highway 66 beginning at its intersection with Country Club Road on the southwest edge of Bristow extending northeasterly to its intersection with West 3rd Avenue.
Visit VFW Post 3656 and Wake Island Memorial to learn more about the organization and auxiliary, inquire about joining, or learn how best to support veterans locally. The VFW and VFWA hold monthly meetings at the Bristow VFW post on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.