Patrick Keith Bryan

Sergeant Patrick Keith Bryan, U.S. Army, was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, 23 January 1949. A 1967 graduate of Tulsa's Daniel Webster High School, he was drafted into the Army in March 1969 and trained as an 11B Light Weapons Infantryman. In July 1969, Bryan deployed to Vietnam and was assigned to B Company, 4th/23rd Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. The Tropic Lightning Division patrolled north and west of Saigon, from the Iron Triangle to Tay Ninh and Nui Ba Den.

In early November 1969, Bryan’s unit engaged an enemy near the foot of towering Black Virgin Mountain. He was recognized with the Bronze Star with "V" and a Purple Heart Medal. Two months later, Company B, operating near the Cambodian border, was engaged in a tree-lined roadside ambush. Bryan's vehicle was stopped by a rocket-propelled grenade, wounding the driver and vehicle commander. Bryan remained with his vehicle, exposed himself, and delivered effective .50 caliber machine gun fire to support the dismounted troops and protect the nearby company command vehicle. Bryan was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his gallantry on the battlefield on 9 January 1970.

Bryan returned home to Tulsa and sought a career as a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service. He was active in the community and a tireless advocate for his fellow carriers. He provided the energy and leadership for the organization and operations of fundraising efforts by the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1358. The recipient organizations for these efforts were the March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way, American Heart Association, and the Letter Carriers Food Drives.

After having a successful heart transplant in 1998, Bryan later lost vision in both eyes due to a rare virus he contracted in Vietnam. Sergeant Bryan impressed everyone he met with his leadership and courage until his death in November 2017. He rests in Floral Haven Memorial Gardens, Broken Arrow, OK.