Bishop Thomas John Paprocki | Diocese of Springfield

Nearly 84 years after graduating from Marquette Catholic High School in Alton, Robert "Bob" Ryan received a replacement for his lost class ring. The original was traded during World War II when Ryan, then a B-17 bomber navigator, was captured and held as a prisoner of war by Nazi forces. In a moment of desperation, he exchanged the ring for a can of sardines.

On April 23, family members, school faculty, students, military personnel, and others gathered to honor Ryan's service. Marquette Principal Tim Harmon recounted how the story came to light through a journalist's inquiry earlier this year. MCHS staff collaborated with Jostens to create and donate a new Class of 1941 ring.

During the ceremony at Marquette Catholic High School, U.S. Army Lt. General Jared P. Helwig joined Principal Harmon in presenting the ring to Ryan. The event included performances by Marquette senior Nola Effinger and Father Marty Smith leading prayers. The Joint Service Color Guard presented colors and handed Ryan an American flag that had flown over Marquette.

Harmon expressed his admiration for Ryan: “I’m still in absolute shock and disbelief at how this has all come together.” He reflected on the significance of honoring living history: “It’s moments like these that remind us why we study history in the first place.”

Ryan remains active as an attorney and keeps mementos such as a model B-17 plane and a piece of the Berlin Wall on his desk. He expressed gratitude for the recognition but downplayed his actions during the war: “All any of us did is what we had to do, and we were lucky to survive.” Receiving both the ring and flag was meaningful to him due to their historical significance.

Information for this article was sourced from Riverbender News.