Larson, Ryan Jeffrey
Male
Verified Pfc. Ryan Jeffrey Larson, 19, of Friendship, Wisconsin, was a U.S. Army infantryman assigned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He was killed in action on June 15, 2011, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Ryan Jeffrey Larson was a 19-year-old from Friendship, Wisconsin, a small village in Adams County. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned as a Private First Class to Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On June 15, 2011, Larson was killed by enemy action at Kandahar Air Field, a major coalition base in southern Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of a hostile incident, though the specific details of the attack were not widely detailed in public reporting. He was one of two U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan that day.
Operation Enduring Freedom was the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, with a significant U.S. troop surge focused on insurgent strongholds in the country's south, including Kandahar province. The mission combined counterinsurgency operations with the training of Afghan security forces.
Larson's body was returned to the United States, and his funeral was held in his hometown of Friendship. The Wisconsin National Guard posted an honor guard, and local community members lined the streets during the procession. His death was reported by regional news outlets in Wisconsin and Alaska, as well as in national casualty lists.
Pfc. Larson is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Highground Veterans Memorial Park in Neillsville, Wisconsin. His name is also inscribed on the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division memorial at Fort Wainwright, honoring soldiers from the unit who died during its deployment.
Explore Further
Pfc. Ryan Larson was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
