Rites honor life of Perry soldier

Published Feb. 14, 2004
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer

FORT KNOX, Ky. - This is the way a son of Stark County was remembered by his family, his friends, his army and his country in a 19th-century chapel.

Echoing the words of Jesus, Staff Sgt. Richard Ramey laid down his life to save his friends, said Lt. Col. Walter Keith Angles, commander of the 184th Ordnance Battalion.

``That is the ultimate sacrifice,'' Angles said.

And that is the kind of soldier Ramey was, Angles said.

Ramey, 27, a 1995 Perry High School graduate, was killed in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, when a roadside bomb he was trying to disarm detonated.

Set up at the front of an 1831 chapel, like a soldier standing at attention, were a pair of boots, a rifle, a pair of dog tags, a helmet inscribed with Ramey's name, three floral arrangements and several photos of him along with displays of his military patches.

Next to a photograph of Ramey was a copy of a poem called The Final Inspection. The poem starts this way: ``The soldier stood and faced God.''

Ramey was known as Richie by his family and friends.

His mother, Julie, said her son had principles in his life and he lived his life acting them out.

``He truly believed in his life and principles,'' she said. ``That was my son. He always wanted to help those who couldn't help themselves.''

Ramey entered the Army on his mother's birthday, Sept. 8, in 1995, and at first worked as a computer repairman. Later he studied to become an explosive ordnance specialist. He served in Kosovo in 2000 and once served as an explosive ordnance specialist at the White House.

Ramey was a member of the 703rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment at Fort Knox, and his unit of 15 soldiers had been in Iraq since September 2003.

On Dec. 14, 2003, another noncommissioned officer from his unit, Staff Sgt. Kimberly Voelz, died in Iraq. On Dec. 18, Ramey's ears were injured when an explosive device went off.

Ramey received a Purple Heart for his injury in December and a posthumous one for the injuries that led to his death.

At the memorial service, Staff Sgt. Max Voelz, widower of Kimberly Voelz and a member of Ramey's unit, said Ramey was his friend.

He said Ramey loved to tell stories and play pranks on people. Voelz recalled when Ramey filled an officer's room with balloons.

``I miss Rich,'' said Voelz, his voice breaking up with emotion several times. ``We all miss him.''

The impact Ramey left on those who knew him will go on and on, Voelz said.

``We have all the happy memories and we will have them forever,'' he said. At the conclusion of the service, Voelz embraced Ramey's parents for several minutes.

Lt. Col. Angles said Ramey was ``a stubborn kind of a guy who loved the outdoors.''

He said Ramey loved fishing, rappelling and camping and got a charge out of going out in the woods, pitching a tent with a six-pack of beer and some hot dogs.

``He was just a big kid,'' he said.

But the job done by Ramey and his comrades in Iraq -- defusing and detonating bombs -- helped save not just soldiers but also Iraqi people.

His father, Jerry Ramey, said after the service that his son was a team player and was ``a loving kid -- a strong-willed kid.''

He loved the Boy Scouts and he loved to go camping, his father said. His favorite movie was Red Dawn.

Julie Ramey said he ``was a wonderful, wonderful son.''

And, she said, ``I was proud of that boy. . . . He had a spirit that would not end.''

She said her son truly believed in America's mission overseas.

``He loved what he did, he loved the Army and he loved the U.S.,'' she said.

At the end of the service, Chaplain Capt. Jan Kohlmann said Ramey belongs to the ages.

``As we say goodbye to Sgt. Ramey, in light of eternity, it is like saying hello,'' he said.

Ramey is also survived by his sister, Sarah Beverlin of Massillon.