Battling his demons from an old war, he goes the extra mile for vets (LA Times)

Ryan donates a quarter for each wave he gets along his walks. ~ pinto

Battling his demons from an old war, he goes the extra mile for vets

Ric Ryan, who as a Marine fought in Vietnam, is helping soldiers returning from the nation's latest wars. In two years, his solitary walks on two bum knees have raised $19,000 for UCLA Operation Mend.

By Diana Marcum, Los Angeles Times
March 25, 2013

The Walking Man of Murphys, as he's known along a certain stretch of California 4 in Gold Country, sings.

Loudly.

"You've lost that loving feelin' ...," the ex-Marine croons, his off-key notes traveling across traffic on the two-lane road.

The freedom to sing poorly is one reason Ric Ryan is out here — day after day, in every season — his walking stick clicking briskly through the miles. He likes to have "time with my tunes, when nobody else has to listen," he said.

But he's also following unexpected paths of grace.

Ryan, 67, is fighting demons from an old war while helping soldiers returning from the latest ones. In two years, his solitary walks have raised $19,000 for UCLA Operation Mend, which offers free reconstructive surgery to disfigured soldiers and Marines. (About $4,000 has come from his own pocket, a quarter at a time.)

http://www.latimes.com/news/columnone/la-me-walking-man-20130326-dto,0,5823548.htmlstory