Merrill soldier killed in Iraq would’ve turned 40 this year
MINOCQUA, Wis. (WSAW) – Inside Brian Jopek’s Minocqua home, you’re immediately drawn to the dedicated wall for his son, Ryan, who was killed in combat in Iraq.
Brian showed NewsChannel 7 one of Ryan’s Winnie the Pooh toys from his childhood. That little boy would’ve turned 40 this year.
“It’s been 20 years. Uh, and it, it weighs on you every day. I mean, it never goes away,” Brian said, a 20-year veteran of the Army National Guard.
Ryan had followed in dad’s footsteps to the Army National Guard.
“I know his mother wasn’t too happy,” he recalled.
In June 2005, Ryan was deployed to Iraq, five months after Brian’s return from a near year-long stint there. Ryan was near the end of his deployment. But he volunteered for one more mission. August 1, 2006, he was the only one killed after a roadside bomb detonated near his convoy.
“Even after I was told about Ryan, one of the first things I asked…and I don’t know if that’s, again, Army in me or the squad leader thing. What about, are the other guys OK? Turns out they were.”
Nine days earlier was the last time father talked to son.
“Up until, uh, this, was it this year or last year. I had a, I had another vehicle that had a set of Gold Star Family plates on it. That said 23 July,” Brian recalled, as emotion overcame him. “Um, and that was the last time I ever heard my son say, ‘I love you, Dad.’”
In the last 20 years, the Merrill grad’s legacy lives.
There’s Walter, his refurbished ’66 truck. The Sawmill in Merrill created Walter Amber Ale. There’s an honorary Sgt. Ryan Jopek Road in Merrill. In June, American Legion Post 318 added his name to their building.
“It means a lot. Sorry,“ said Vice Commander Terry Spranger, overcome with emotion.
Spranger served with Ryan in Iraq from August 2005 until the day he was killed.
“As far as know, he was a good kid. I’m proud that I can, we can do this for him in his memory,” Spranger said.
Ryan’s name joins Colin Shultz, who was killed in Korea in 1950. Their name presence forces people to ask questions.
“We get visitors come in. We show them Colin Shultz and then we show them Ryan and tell their story and that sort of helps keep their memory alive,” Spranger said.
“I thought it was cool to have, as cool as it can be, to have Ryan up there with Colin,” said Brian. “You know, you got two, two guys who were pretty near the same age when they were killed.”
Each passing day makes it easier to handle. But the pain is still there.
“Whenever I can, I tell people, you know, give them hugs. You know, as much as you can. You know, tell them how much you love them, as much as you can. Because you do not know when the last time is gonna be.”
Ryan is the oldest of three kids. The youngest, Steven, also served in the National Guard. Steven’s oldest son is Ryan D. Jopek III.
Brian’s middle child, Jessica, named her only son Miles Ryan.
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