Sgt. Ryan Groves graduated high school from Southeast High School in 1999.  He played football, basketball and baseball.  He then went on to Mount Union College where he attended two years majoring in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies.  Ryan played football there with The Purple Raiders, was a member of the Student Senate, President of the Pre-Law Society and also a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. 

Ryan left for the Marines in March of 2001.  Did his Basic Training at Parris Island, SC, and was then assigned to Kaneohe Bay, to India Company where he arrived the morning of September 11, 2001.  He spent the next 2-1/2 years there serving on a deployment to the Phillipines and Japan, among other places. 

He did one other MEU and then volunteered to go to Iraq. He was then sent to Camp Pendleton to the 1st Marines, 3rd Battalion, where they needed a Squad Leader.  He was deployed to Iraq in June of 2004.  He worked on a number of different missions around Baghdad and Fallujah.  

Ryan was hit with a rocket inside of Camp Fallujah on October 17th.  Injuries sustained were loss of the left leg above the knee and his right leg is fused at the knee (involved 42 surgeries). He spent time both at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center for physical therapy. He is currently attending Georgetown University to continue his studies in Law.  Ryan is doing an internship for Wounded Warrior Project and is also a volunteer for Operation Grateful Nation.  Ryan is definitely a success story.  His support throughout this ordeal has been absolutely magnificent.