Franklin William Ryan Jr.
CPT in 23rd Headquarters Co
ASN#39012422
Born 1915 in OR, Died 1969
County of residence at enlistment: San Francisco County, CA
Other residence(s): Hillsboro, OR; San Francisco, CA; Richmond, CA; Belmont, CA
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: semiskilled teamsters
College education before the war: 2 years
Frank Ryan was born on October 21, 1915 in Pendleton, OR, an only child. His father was a farmer, but by 1930 the family had relocated to San Francisco and his father was working as a laborer in a warehouse.
Not a lot is known about Frank's life before and after his service in the Ghost Army. He appears to have gotten two years of college under his belt per the 1940 census, though his enlistment record says he was only a high school graduate. The April 1940 census shows him living in a Los Angeles, CA boarding house and working as an assistant manager in an industry whose name is not clear in the records. He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, saying that his residence was in San Francisco, his wife's name was Isabell, and he was working for a Los Angeles upholstery supply company.
By the time he enlisted in the Army, on October 11, 1941, he and Isabell had separated. He was living in San Francisco and his occupation was in the category of semiskilled teamsters. He may still have been working for the LA company, driving back and forth between LA and San Francisco.
At some point fairly soon after enlistment he was identified as an officer candidate and sent to officers' training. He received his commission on June 9, 1942. He was divorced about that time, and married his second wife, Astrid "Audrey" Hendriksen, on September 12, 1942. Audrey was also from San Francisco, but the couple married in Cheyenne, WY.
Eventually, Frank was assigned to the 23rd HQ Company, and served with the unit during the war. When he returned from Europe, in the summer of 1945, he still had the rank of 1LT; but he appears to have been promoted to CPT before his discharge on January 4, 1946.
After the war, Frank and Audrey became the parents of three children: Barbara, Janet, and Thomas. In 1950, Frank was working as a liquor control officer for the California State Board of Equalization. At that time, they lived in Richmond, CA (north of San Francisco); they later settled in Belmont (south of the city near San Mateo).
Frank served as president of the Sterling Downs Homeowners' Association in Belmont, and was a member of the Church Council of Hope Lutheran Church in San Mateo.
He was only 54 when he died, on July 31, 1969, and is buried at Olivet Gardens of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, CA.
Sources:
1920 census
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/67279622:6061?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1930 census
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/92270714:6224?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1940 census
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/73614987:2442?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1940 draft card
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/18487104:2238?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1941 enlistment record
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/840279:8939?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1942 Wyoming marriage record
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/141025:61829?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1950 census
1969 US headstone applications for military veterans
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2678641:2375?ssrc=pt&tid=38121188&pid=19579048475
1969 obituary in the San Francisco Examiner (CA)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/460201592/?match=1&terms=franklin%20w%20ryan
1969 Find a Grave record