Earl Patton Ryals

1961 - 1987  (25 years)

• Name	Earl Patton Ryals  [1]
  Birth	29 Jun 1961  [2]
  Gender	Male
  Note	[BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Last Known Activity [:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Stark was deployed to the Middle East Force in 1987. The ship was struck on May 17, 1987, by two Exocet antiship missiles fired from an Iraqi Mirage F1 fighter during the Iran-Iraq War. The fighter had taken off from Shaibah at 20:00 and had flown south into the Persian Gulf. Shortly after being routinely challenged by the frigate around 22:10, the fighter fired two Exocet missiles. The frigate did not detect the missiles, and both struck without warning. The first penetrated the port-side hull; it failed to detonate, but spewed flaming rocket fuel in its path. The second entered at almost the same point, and left a 3-by-4-meter gash—then exploded in crew quarters. 37 sailors were killed and 21 injured. This has been called the U.S. Navy's deadliest peacetime disaster before the gun turret explosion onboard the battleship Iowa. Because the U.S. and Iraq were not at war at the time, the attack was likely not authorized. According to Iraqi officials, the pilot who attacked the Stark was not punished.  [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Comments/Citation[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255] Ryals was born in Seattle, Wash., grew up in Huntsville, Ala., and later moved to Gainesville, Fla., where he was graduated from Gainesville High School. His mother lives in Boca Raton, and his father lives in Wichita, Kansas. Ryals lived in Atlantic Beach, Fla., with his wife, also 25. The couple had no children. [:COLOR]
  Death	17 May 1987	USS Stark Attack, Persian Gulf   [2]
  Burial	Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia, -USA
  	[COLOR:1,1,1,255,255,255]Plot: Section 60, Site 4102[:COLOR]
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  Person ID	I29618	HHTT
  Last Modified	1 Jul 2022

  
  

  Father	Willare Ryals
  Mother	Jane
  Marriage	Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F7131	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Christine Clara Pervenecki
  Children	1. Shawn P. Ryals
  Family ID	F9160	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	1 Jul 2022

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		EarlPattonRyals
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• Sources

  [S480] TWS. [BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Home Town[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Raton [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Last Address[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Specified [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Casualty Date[:CO[COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]LOR][:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]17, 1987   [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Cause[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255], Died [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Reason[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Explosive Device [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Location[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Gulf [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Conflict[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]/Patrols/USS Stark Attack [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Location of Interment[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]National Cemetery - Arlington, Virginia [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Wall/Plot[:COLOR] Coordi[COLOR:77,77,77,255,25[:COLOR]5,255][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]nates[:BOLD]60 site 4102 [:COLOR] [S480] TWS (Reliability: 2). [BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Home Town[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Raton [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Last Address[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Specified [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Casualty Date[:CO[COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]LOR][:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]17, 1987   [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Cause[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255], Died [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Reason[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Explosive Device [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Location[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Gulf [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Conflict[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]/Patrols/USS Stark Attack [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Location of Interment[:COLOR][:BOLD][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]National Cemetery - Arlington, Virginia [:COLOR][BOLD:][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]Wall/Plot[:COLOR] Coordi[COLOR:77,77,77,255,25[:COLOR]5,255][COLOR:77,77,77,255,255,255]nates[:BOLD]60 site 4102 [:COLOR]