1st LT Daniel Riordan, USA

1st LT Daniel Riordan, U.S. Army

KIA June 23, 2007

Dan Riordan was the kind of kid who was involved in everything – sports, the outdoors, plays, musicals, clubs, Boy Scouts, college ROTC, working with horses and law enforcement organizations. He dreamed of flying fighter jets for the Air Force but his less than stellar eye sight caused him to answer the calling to serve as an Army tank commander.

On June 23, 2007, Army 1st Lieutenant Daniel P. Riordan was killed in a massive IED explosion while deployed with Blue Platoon, D Company (the Demons), 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 8th Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division at Camp Taji, Iraq. He was 24 and survived by father Rick, mother Jeanine, twin brother Nick, and sister Suzanne. Dan had already escaped many close calls, including numerous IED strikes, with relatively minor wounds, burns, and concussions and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He is laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County.

He dearly loved his family, his friends, and his country and is remembered by the Army Major who trained him as follows: “I trained over 260 Infantry Lieutenants while I was instructing at Ft. Benning, and while I could recognize most by their faces if I saw them again now, to be honest, a lot of them have become blurry memories. But not Dan. He was an exceptional Soldier and a leader. Dan was one of those rare people who genuinely cared more for the welfare of those around him than for his own. He always carried more than his share of the load, without complaint. He was a fine example of America's best, and it was my distinct honor to have known him.”

To learn more about Dan, visit his website here.