City of Salem issued the following announcement on Sept. 17
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss made his way through Salem this morning as part of a procession that will eventually carry him to his final resting spot at Arlington National Cemetery later this Thursday. The 23-year-old soldier, from Corryton, Tennessee near Knoxville, was killed along with a dozen other U.S. service men and women in Afghanistan on August 26 during an attack on The Kabul Airport.
To properly honor Staff Sgt. Knauss on his final journey, Salem Fire and EMS Truck 1 and Roanoke Fire and EMS Ladder 2 moved into position this morning on the Red Lane bridge that crosses Interstate 81 in north Salem. With the help of the Salem Police Department, the bridge was blocked-off and closed to travelers at 10:15 a.m. Virginia State Police Motorcycle Troopers escorted the hearse that passed under the flag and a bridge full of saluting officers just after 10:45 a.m.
Staff Sgt. Knauss and his wife, Alena, were high school sweethearts. We are honored that we could pay tribute to him in this manner.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Salem
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