Saint Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame
A true American hero, William (Billy) C. Ryan, Jr., makes the Saint Francis Hall of Fame as one of the school’s greatest players of America’s national pastime. Ryan is the third baseball player to be inducted after starring at shortstop for the Frankies in the mid-1960’s. He hit over .300 in his career and was considered one of the top defensive players at his position in the region. All told, Ryan is named among the top baseball players in Saint Francis history.
After graduation, Ryan joined the United State Marine Corps and became a jet pilot. After marrying a fellow Saint Francis student, Ryan went to flight school in Pensacola, Fla., and trained in El Toro, Calif. and Miramar before shipping out to Vietnam in August 1968.
His plane was shot down twice during the Vietnam War during his 300 combat missions. Ryan was a member of the Marine Air Wing and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the most coveted air medal. Ryan was also awarded the Purple Heart after his first plane was shot down.
On May 11, 1969, Ryan was flying over Savannakhet Province in Laos when his aircraft was hit by hostile ground fire.
