CHEYENNE — When Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Zorn finally returned home to northeast Wyoming on Sunday morning, thousands braved cold and windy November weather to pay tribute to the fallen soldier from Wright.

People of all ages lined the streets of Gillette as Zorn’s casket entered town from the airport, escorted by more than a thousand vehicles including police cars, emergency vehicles and motorcycles with dozens of leather-clad military veterans and supporters.

“It was just incredible. It really was,” said 80-year-old Gillette resident Nancy Yonkee, who watched the procession with her daughter along Highway 14/16.

“I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen an outpouring like that before.”

 

Helping Iraqis

 

Zorn, 35, was killed Nov. 16 near the city of Tal Afar in northeastern Iraq when his armored vehicle overturned. A communications expert with the 311th Military Intelligence Unit of the 101st Airborne Division, Zorn had been helping Iraqis develop their own communications and intelligence operations.

Zorn’s body arrived at Gillette-Campbell County Airport late Sunday morning in a Falcon 20 jet from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

A crowded terminal fell silent as an honor guard and Zorn’s family approached the plane and pallbearers lifted Zorn’s flag-draped casket over to a waiting hearse.

“There wasn’t a sound to be had anywhere through that — (a) whole 20 minutes or better,” said state Sen. Michael von Flatern, R-Gillette, who was in the terminal building.

“It’s a moment that sends a chill up your spine, there’s no doubt about it.”

As the casket was slowly driven from the airport to a downtown Gillette funeral home five miles away, thousands of flag-waving Gillette residents lined the streets to pay their final respects to Zorn.

 

Signs of grieving

 

People held signs saying “God bless you” and “We love you, Ryan.”

Firefighters saluted as the hearse passed underneath a fire engine ladder extended high over the street, with an American flag unfurled underneath it.

The outpouring of support was even more impressive given how little time there was to prepare for Zorn’s body’s return.

Gillette Mayor Duane Evenson, along with several military, veterans and civilian organizations that helped plan for the procession, had less than 24 hours’ notice that Zorn’s remains would be flown back to Wyoming on Sunday.

Word of the planned procession quickly spread around town through word of mouth, newspaper and radio coverage and forwarded and reforwarded e-mails.

Myron Zorn, Ryan’s father, said it was “mind-boggling” to see the amount of support his family has received from perfect strangers around the community.

“It was just, well, gee it was nice,” he said. “I feel so bad, but you can’t imagine how good it feels to know that people are willing to come out and support you like that. It means so much.”

Funeral services are scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. today at Wright Baptist Church. About 12:30 p.m., a funeral procession will take Zorn’s body from Wright to be interred at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, S.D.

U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, as well as Gov. Dave Freudenthal and other dignitaries, will attend the funeral. Freudenthal has directed that flags be flown at half-staff across the state today to honor Zorn.

Greg Dougherty, who owns and operates a welding shop in Gillette, paid $6,500 to give the Zorns a red, white and blue Christmas tree from the Gillette Festival of Trees, an annual event in which locally crafted Christmas trees and wreaths are auctioned off for charity.

The tree was sent to Wright for a Monday afternoon memorial service and today’s funeral.

Dougherty, who’s often made charitable donations, insisted that he didn’t want any publicity about his gift.

“I just thought it would be a nice gesture to do for the family,” he said. “I have a son in the military, and I respect all the people in the military very much.”

Contact Jeremy Pelzer at 307-632-1244 or jeremy.pelzer@trib.com.

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