CHEYENNE — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Zorn, who died this week in a vehicle accident in Iraq, knew early in life that he wanted to join the military, and he planned to spend his career in the service, his mother said.
Zorn, who grew up in Upton, Wyo., died Monday in Tall Afar, Iraq, from injuries suffered in the rollover crash, the Department of Defense said. He was 35.
JoAnn Zorn, of Wright, said her son was on his third tour in Iraq when he was killed.
During a 15-year military career, he had been stationed across the United States and in Germany, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, his mother said.
“He had always wanted to go into the service, as much as we tried to talk him out of it,” JoAnn Zorn said.
“At high school, when they would have career day or anything like that, he said, ‘No, I want to go into service,’ and that’s what he did.”
Zorn was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan. He trained there to be part of a military transition team — a small group of soldiers that advises and teaches Iraqi soldiers — and deployed in March for a year-long tour.
The military said it’s investigating the crash that killed Zorn.
JoAnn Zorn said the family has not yet heard any details except that her son suffered traumatic head injuries.
“He loved his job,” JoAnn Zorn said. “He loved being a soldier, and he loved serving his country.”
JoAnn Zorn said her son would volunteer for holiday work shifts so other soldiers with family members could spend the holiday with their families. Whenever he came home to visit, he was a “family man,” she said.
“He had a nephew and two nieces,” JoAnn Zorn said. “He didn’t drink, and when he came home on leave, he always just stayed at home with the family.”
Zorn is survived by his parents, Myron and JoAnn of Wright, a brother, a grandmother and others. Funeral arrangements were pending.
