Iraq, 5 years later: 'Ryan missed out on something spectacular'
By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published March 19, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Updated March 19, 2008 at 3:40 p.m.
Photo by Barry Gutierrez
Amber and Leia Baum, wife and daughter of Sgt. Ryan John Baum, spend time together at their home in Gettysburg Pa., Tuesday March 18, 2008.
Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky
Amber and Leia Baum, wife and daughter of Sgt. Ryan John Baum, spend time together Tuesday at their home in Gettysburg, Pa. Baum was killed May 18 near Karmah, Iraq. "To say losing him was devastating is an understatement," Amber Baum said.
Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky/2007
A photograph of his daughter, Leia Ryan Baum, was placed inside the uniform of Sgt. Ryan John Baum during visitation at a funeral home in June 2007. "That's all he wanted to do, is come home and put her on his chest," said Dana Baum, Sgt. Baum's mother.
Baum is pictured on his wedding day.
The baby without the father is not quite a year old now and has dad's easy-going nature and smile.
"The baby is a joy," said grandmother Dana Baum. "Leia is the happiest thing that ever walked - or is about to walk. Then there are times when I hold her and my heart breaks because I feel so much that Ryan missed out on something spectacular."
Sgt. Ryan John Baum, a 27-year-old Army Ranger and combat medic, died from wounds he suffered during a battle near Karmah, Iraq, last May 18.
The emotional wounds have cut through the family like shrapnel. His parents say they have some good days, some bad days and are just now learning to sit down and talk about it.
And back in Pennsylvania, where Ryan's wife, Amber, cares for 10-month old Leia, hate, anger, sorrow and loss sweep over her - sometimes keeping her in bed for days.
"I guess you can say my grieving process has been very slow. He was my life. He was everything. To say losing him was devastating is an understatement," she said. "But Leia helps me get up, and she makes me smile."
Amber lives with her parents and makes regular trips to Colorado to visit Ryan's family. For her, it's a way to keep the connection to her husband alive. And when she's not visiting his family, she makes sure photos of Ryan are all over the house in Pennsylvania.
She also has a necklace with his thumbprint in it that she traces her daughter's hand over and tells her, "That's daddy."
"I always talk to her using 'we' because I want to raise her in the way Ryan would've wanted," she said. "He so much wanted to be a part of this."
The plan this spring is for her to travel with Leia to Colorado to sprinkle her husband's ashes somewhere in the mountains.
Richard Baum, Ryan's father, said even though 10 months have passed, it doesn't take much to dredge up painful memories. He said when they recovered Ryan on the battlefield, they found the ultrasound of Leia in his pocket.
"This was going to be the highlight of his life," he said. "He was crazy about the baby even then."
At the funeral - the one Amber Baum couldn't attend because she was due with Leia any day - Dana Baum said soldiers needed to "concentrate on the job at hand" and to "get your head back in the game and come home" - mostly, she said, so other families don't have to experience what they have:
To watch a daughter grow up without a father to ever hold her. For Leia to only know him through pictures, a thumbprint on a necklace or through shared stories swapped by family members.
And for Leia Ryan Baum to always wonder how things might have been instead of just sharing his name.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
Denver turns 150
Read about the city's history, look at old photos and see a list of influential Denverites.
-
Mount Crushmore
Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.
-
Winter Escapes
Your insider’s guide to the copious joys of the coolest season.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Weekend plans?
Figure out things to do this weekend with the help of our entertainment calendar.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's pregame rant on the Raiders.
-
Season To Share
The Post-News Season To Share campaign provides grants to area nonprofits.
-
The Rocky @ 150 Years
The Rocky was there when Colorado became a state in 1876. Read our coverage.
-
A Dozen on Denver
And the winner is... Robert Ziegler! See the whole fiction series by clicking here.
March 19, 2008
10:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
fleetmack writes:
as pro-gun and pro-second ammendment as I am, I agree with you marinegrunt ... the picture is a bit creepy. But I also agree fully with your sentiments.
March 19, 2008
10:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
mark79trans writes:
As a pro-gun person myself, I was taken back by the picture as well. My weapons are kept in a locked safe. I find it odd that 1. the crib is under a gun rack and 2. the mother let a picture be taken/posted with the crib under the gun rack. Now, I am all for teaching the child to respect and handle firearms at about 8 years of age.
Well, my family of ranchers always kept firearms at the door for coyotes and such so it is part of the culture in some households. Although, this one I have never seen.
March 19, 2008
11:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
As the mother of a six month old baby, this story wrung my heart out. I cannot express how sorry I am for this family.
I also cannot express how furious I am with George Bush for lying to these families about what their husbands, fathers, sons, daughters, and mothers are dying for in this war. It is not for our freedom, it it is not to fight terrorism, and it is not to secure out safety.
It is to line the pockets of his war-profiteering cronies, period. And after they're through raiding the US Treasury, they then have the gall to move their headquarters to Dubai!
For the life of me, I do not know how that man can still look in the mirror and sleep at night, and I do not see how anyone can still feel comfortable about supporting him and this stupid, stupid war.
March 19, 2008
11:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
rickg19611 writes:
Ryan Baum was a 4 time volunteer.... volunteered for the Army, volunteered for jump school, volunteered for RIP, volunteered to serve in a Ranger BN.
Meanwhile, the shrill whining of the hatemongers that have NEVER volunteered to serve anyone other than their pet political agenda, continues on unabated.
Thank God there are millions of Ryan Baum's willing to defend us, since the handful of freaks whining about what they are doing will NEVER do anything but complain and whine.
March 19, 2008
11:24 a.m.
Suggest removal
HollyGoLightly writes:
I'm sorry for this family's loss but the gun rack over the baby's crib makes me wonder what the heck these people are thinking.
March 19, 2008
11:40 a.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
MarineGrunt: "Please try and use ALL the avaiable data to make an opinion and not what you have read, for once..."
I don't need presentations, flow charts, and lengthy reports to show me that we still haven't caught the man who claimed responsibility for 9/11, we still haven't stamped out all traces of the Taliban who harbored him, we haven't even made a dent in the number of worldwide terrorists, Iraq's oil isn't paying for one cent of this war, Halliburton did pull up stakes and moved to the Middle East, and the President of the United States is being photographed draped in gold jewelry given to him by the rulers of the country where most of the 9/11 bombers came from.
March 19, 2008
11:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
mark79trans writes:
mytwosense
The IRAQ rebuilding effort was a huge miscalculation. Anyone with a strong background in Mideast history and politics knows that it is a fools errand to try. However, we as a nation state have a dependency on the Mideast to sustain our country. Everything that we have including essentials such as food and our medical facilities is sustained by energy. Until such time that we break this dependency, we are stuck creating some measure of stability in this region...to pull from Iraq now would cause a major problem. This energy issue has been an on-going theme since the Versailles Treaty at the close of WWI. Personally, I would sure love to let the Mideast be someone else's' problem...let China and Russia deal with these people. However, to bring our soldiers home, we need to come up with an energy plan that can be sustainable. Is Bush an evil villain...no. Did he have some bad miscalculations in a pretty crappy inherited situation...yes. This administration could have gone two ways after 9/11. Stick its head in the sand or get involved in the mess. The American people as a whole don't want to deal with the mess created long before Bush took office. This poor soldier's death could have been avoided if we would all wake up; his wife and child would not be alone. We all need to understand what it means to be a nation state especially a wealthy nation state that is not loved. We are mortgaging our future in so many ways with so many different interest groups complicating our problems. We have Republicans and Democrats both hungry for power. We have competing interest groups unwilling to bend on their agenda. A storm is coming and we as a nation are not at all prepared!
March 19, 2008
11:45 a.m.
Suggest removal
JTTAAB writes:
Rickg19611 Damn Right!! Good for you
March 19, 2008
11:52 a.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
mark79trans, I agree with a lot of what you're saying, however, the Bush administration did not outline those reasons as their justification for launching war with Iraq. And I don't subscribe to the kind of thinking that might suggest, well, they had to lie because Americans don't want to know the truth. It is illegal to launch a war that kills and maims hundreds of thousands of people under the pretext of a flat-out lie. And if this really is just all the result of bad planning, that kind of incompetence should be criminal.
A lot of soldiers might not have chosen to fight such a war if they'd known the truth. And certainly many more Americans wouldn't have supported it.
We need to do something to cut our ties with the Middle East, all right, but this war isn't it.
March 19, 2008
11:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
Marine grunt: "Any chance of you sticking to the story and making a comment about JUST the story?"
I believe I was sticking to the story by acknowledging what killed this child's father. If he'd been killed by an armed robber, I would have referenced that, too.
March 19, 2008
12:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
mark79trans writes:
mytwosense
It is hard to think in terms of this, but "what-if" Iraq did have the weapons as suggested by intelligence and used them. If this intelligence was ignored and something catastrophic happened, there would be a much bigger problem. It is tough to make these decisions, and Iraq's refusal to allow inspection cemented their fate. I supported the invasion up to the point of reconstruction. I would have pulled out at that point.
We had a major problem in the late 70s with the Mideast. Reagan took the "get tough...we will kill you" approach and much of the problem silenced. In the 90s, we took the "I want peace...and we will love you approach." This resulted in 9/11. There is no one right answer to work with these people. Like a bad marriage, it is time to look toward our own faculties and get rid of them.
The real answer is deal with the energy mess and find a way to get out permanently. We need an energy strategy desperately. The Mideast should be China and Russia's problem...not ours! That place is a snake-pit and will always be a snake-pit.
This soldier who died, his family and the thousands like them are supporting our standard of living. They deserve so much more then they receive!!!
Did Bush's strategy work. Well, probably not. ...he is no Ronald Reagan!
March 19, 2008
12:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
MeAgainstMachine writes:
it's all bush's fault...whine whine whine whine...please. Anybody read the report from the mid 90's when Sudan offered the Clinton Admin Osama on silver platter for a little food and health aid? Yeah, we turned it down because we don't negotiate with terrorist states or states that sponsor terrorism. So we just fired a bunch of Tomahawks on Sudan (where Osama was following the bombing of the embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi) to knock out some terror compounds. Then, within the first year the village idiot has to deal with 9/11. I say blame the whole "war on terror" on Billy, he could have sent Delta Force or a SEAL team in to mop 'em up. Had he done so, 9/11 would not have been carried out because the entire "base" (Al Qaeda translated) would have been disrupted years before the initial planning on the WTC took place.
March 19, 2008
12:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
This is a common but sad story.
I love the photo of the baby with all those hunting and assault rifles. I would like to marry such a widow. The first thing I would add is a mobile above the crib with little pistols and grenades hanging from it. The room just isn't complete without that.
March 19, 2008
12:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
MeAgainstMachine writes:
I seem to remember Hans Blix getting the run around everytime he and his weapons inspecting teams visited Iraq. Clearly enough time to move things around or dismantle entire systems and facilities. Also, Saddam did have WMDs at one point. Don't forget the chemical agents unleashed on us in Desert Storm and what he did to hundreds of thousands of Kurds with it. The war is right, the justification is wrong. Iraq will be a better place one day, much better than it has been in last century.
March 19, 2008
12:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
mark7..."We had a major problem in the late 70s with the Mideast. Reagan took the "get tough...we will kill you" approach and much of the problem silenced. In the 90s, we took the "I want peace...and we will love you approach." This resulted in 9/11."
Say what?? bin Laden and his band of crazy followers were directly responsible for 9/11, not Bill Clinton's policies in the 1990's. In fact, his air strikes against bin Laden's training cramps were loudly decried by the right as a "political distraction" move. They were pissed off that anything he did might take away the public's attention on his sordid affair with Monica Lewinsky.
9/11 also happened on George Bush's watch. A time period, by the way, that he spent a lot of on vacation in his ranch in Crawford, Texas, ignoring urgent security briefings about bin Laden's plans to attack inside America.
You have also left out many of our policies under Reagan and Bush 1 that equipped and empowered Saddam Hussein and bin Laden's battle in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union in the 1980's.
I have never seen a picture of Bill Clinton shaking Saddam Hussein's hand. I have, however, seen one of Rumsfeld heartily doing so.
March 19, 2008
12:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
The lies of Bush apologists are being repeated (see above) need repeated refutation by established facts.
Fact 1. Saddam Hussein never attacked the United States of America and was never an ally of Al Qaeda.
Fact 2. Saddam Hussein neither had stockpiles nor was he building weapons of mass destruction. He was in compliance with all mandates placed upon him after the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991.
So, only a liar would assert that Bush's war in Iraq has anything to do with fighting Al Qaeda, Islamic militants, or "terrorism". If anything, Bush's war has:
1. diverted resources from fighting those who attacked us on Sept 11 2001,
2. breathed new life into Al Qaeda, a murderous organization that even most Arabs loathe,
3. cost us allies whose help we need to prosecute effective police actions to destroy Al Qaeda and other murderous religious fanatics,
4. allowed Al Qaeda and the Taliban to establish their own country within a country inside of Waziristan, a region of Pakistan situated adjacent to Afghanistan where
5. the Taliban insurgency is regrouping and threatens to destroy our meager gains in Afghanistan.
I seem to remember our troops occupying the country for 5 years without finding any evidence of WMD storage or manufacturing, not even components that would have been hastily scattered.
Mark that idiot, MeAgainstMachine, as yet another Bush apologist and liar, as someone who would gleefully vote for an increase in widows and orphans while supporting decreases in their ability to keep their own homes, which is why Amber Ryan and child are living with her parents.
March 19, 2008
12:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
By the way, if the cons get their wish and we do end up in war with Iran TOO, I hope the weapons we sold to them under Reagan's administration won't be used to kill thousands of our troops.
March 19, 2008
12:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
Those who support Bush's war in Iraq will love this:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/N...
Little did you know that Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein were once bedfellows in the war-profiteering business.
March 19, 2008
1:41 p.m.
Suggest removal
mark79trans writes:
mytwosense
I wrote toward the cumulative approach. Each step the west took since the end of Word War I created a new twist in Mideast politics. Certainly, the arming of Iraq in their war against Iran created problems with that one country. However, for every Saddam Hussein or bin Laden, there will be 100 leaders to take their place. This problem isn't about either, and it doesn't really mater if you believe or don't believe the United States became soft in the 90s. The 70s, 80s, 90s or any one decade or administration is not the make or break of Mideast politics. If you think Democrats can do no wrong and Republicans are completely wrong, then you will never see the big picture...party loyalty is an emotional response. Personally, I do not agree with the peace talks in the 90s especially with Arafat. I do not agree with aligning our defensive strategies with the United Nations. We can talk Somalia, Bosnia, and a few occasional missile strikes until we are blue in the face. It does not alter the weakening of our military during the Bush Sr. and Clinton years or the perception of a weakened US response. The US is not the only country with miscalculation. The Hussein's and bin Laden's of the world didn't think the US had the resolve for conflict...we shall see if they are right.
March 19, 2008
2:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
reddog writes:
Thanks Bush, you idiot.
March 19, 2008
2:50 p.m.
Suggest removal
MeAgainstMachine writes:
HolierThanThou - you need to read to all of the UN's reports leading up to the invasion, not to mention look back on Desert Storm and the warfare tactis implemented by Saddam then against us. If you read what I wrote, I do not apologize for Bush - I blame Bill Clinton. Don't be a self righteous douche bag and start assuming my stance and putting motive behind "my thoughts" behind the anonymity of a thread. If you can call me out with on my "lies" with some sources and bibliographic back up...I'll gladly meet you somewhere so you can kick my in the balls. Just note, that no where in my post do I back up, stand for or defend Bush. Until then, deapthroat the above.
March 19, 2008
2:59 p.m.
Suggest removal
mark79trans writes:
reddog
You may want to offer more then calling one man an idiot. Maybe start by defining this country's strategic interests followed by the problems with foreign policy and what needs to be done to correct those policies. This type of analysis hold more weight then the emotional outcry of calling a person an idiot.
Certainly, the post cold war foreign policy leaves much to be desired in many areas...1989 to present. There is no strategic path compounded by the left over remnants of cold-war policy. The past three administrations failed miserably to chart a new course.
Many of our citizens sworn to protect our country have died. We can either use their sacrifice for our nation's good or we can call Bush an idiot and tuck tale and run until we are faced with another daunting crisis leaving a whole generation of soldiers dumbfounded, confused, and abandoned like we did to our Vietnam Vets.
March 19, 2008
3:15 p.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
"If you think Democrats can do no wrong and Republicans are completely wrong, then you will never see the big picture...party loyalty is an emotional response."
Actually. I'm a registered Independent.
March 19, 2008
3:16 p.m.
Suggest removal
MeAgainstMachine writes:
To continue the above - I am for Suddam being ousted. He was tyrrant and murderer (killed his first victim as a teen). "Meager gains in Afghanistan" - stop reading regurgitated far left progressive media propaganda and go see the Afghans yourself. In a lot a regions, religious oppression that were once implemented by the Taliban are of days past. You are such a tool of your own misguided bandwagon riding devices that you can't even distinguish one post (mine) from the other. Not once did I put a connecting factor on terrorism to Iraq. The first and second posts of mine are in response to two different things. Take a lesson on English comprehension before attacking someone.
March 19, 2008
3:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
Ironically named MeAgainstMachine: "Just note, that no where in my post do I back up, stand for or defend Bush."
Blaming Clinton does all three. You're completely letting Bush off the hook, and also the Republicans who barely gave Clinton time to concentrate on anything during his presidency because they riddled it with an 8-year long investigation about everything under the sun.
Even so, Clinton still got more done than Bush. What exactly is Bush's legacy, other than an ill-conceived, criminal war that hasn't reduced terrorism by one iota?
March 19, 2008
3:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
Shaupeen writes:
Gene, really? We declared war. It was pre-emptive strike. How is that a defensive strategy?
And "with vision"? That might be the first time I've read the word "vision" used to describe Bush's war plans. If you are actually serious, where's the vision now?
Or is it just "Mission Accomplished?"
March 19, 2008
3:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
MeAgainstMachine writes:
I can't stand for Bush - I voted for him in the first election, but withheld my vote in second. I didn't let Bush off the hook, I said that if Clinton would have found a way around a decades old policy of not negotiating with terrorist states, 9/11 would have been avoided. It may have ended up still happening, but it would have been under different circumstances. Oh, and my posting handle is more like "me against the world(the machine). I am not an anti-flag monger. I also believe we have thwarted more than a few potential attacks on the U.S. and our allies including Fort Blix and the cell that targeted it. Stop assuming who I am or how I form my opinions, atleast they are original. As for those investigations, I believe Clinton was subject of few. He baited his own hook and created those investigations.
March 19, 2008
3:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
Squatch writes:
You all just need to realize that our government has failed these guy not one specific party. The Dems were just as gung ho as the Reps. after September 11th so to constantly blame one and not the other is totally irresponsible.
Once they can quit this division of ideas the American People will finally be served but this will never happen People get into Politics to serve their own agenda and make money not solve real issues. Why do you think they all focus on abortion, guns, immigration & same sex marriage because these issues distract from the real problems.
March 19, 2008
4:31 p.m.
Suggest removal
reddog writes:
you nailed it Squatch.
March 19, 2008
4:43 p.m.
Suggest removal
MeAgainstMachine writes:
Your move Holyman...
March 19, 2008
4:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
Logic1 writes:
Truly, I do not understand all these blogs. It’s Monday morning quarterbacking at its finest. Blame this guy, blame that guy. We should've done this or that. We need to take from the facts of the past, put away the emotion. The real question is... what we do from this point forward.
March 19, 2008
8:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
EastVail writes:
Stupid war
March 20, 2008
11:03 a.m.
Suggest removal
rg writes:
Attack Barak; however, Barak will attack the B who attacked Iraq.
March 23, 2008
6:06 p.m.
ateez51 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
March 23, 2008
7:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
mdnantkes writes:
On Behalf of Ryan Baum's mother and sister we would like to say how inappropriate that comment was above. Do you not have anything better to do on "Easter Sunday?" I am shocked at how heartless and judgemental you are. I hope you never have to go through what Amber has experienced. Please address any further comments at DanaBaum@aol.com. Otherwise, your anonymity leaves your comments and your judge of character with no credibility!
March 24, 2008
12:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
abaum writes:
I would like to clear up misunderstandings. Leia and I were unexpectedly living in my parents house after Ryan died. The space is limited - Leia is sleeping in her Uncle's room where to weapons are hung. The photo was taken out of context. Her crib is always pushed away from the wall so there is no possibility of her reaching the weapons. Her situation is temporary. As to the negative comments on my personal life- there is a time and place for that and this is not one of them. Ryan and I lived a very private life which is why he was against any and all press. The only reason I agreed to the rocky mountain news was to show how negative of an impact the war is making on this country. Were you thinking your comments would make an impact? Is that why you lied? To somehow cause a wave in our lives? I know myself and my family knows me. That's all that matters- Not you or any FALSE comments you have to make. Any and all statements you make will be deleted by the staff. You have NO place to juge me, my daughter, and the way I live every day. The pain I suffer from my husbands death is immeasurable and makes every day a living hell. A military wife? If you were, it wouldn't be physically possible for you to say such things to a military widow.Please move on from making false, purposeless, and idiotic comments and do something credable with you time like growing a brain.
May 1, 2008
3:31 p.m.
Suggest removal
ki420 writes:
Good for you Amber--give em hell!
Love you and miss you and Leia
michele in SF
June 22, 2008
3:52 a.m.
Suggest removal
jeanmichel writes:
As a veteran, my heart is torn when I hear of stories like this. What did Ryan die for? Nothing! He should not have been there, along with all the other soldiers who have died and who are there now. A beautiful little girl will grow up without her father and that is pain and hurt that will never go away. My parents marriage was annulled when my twin brother and I were less than a year old and we grew up without knowing our father. I've searched for him and have yet to find him. I love him and have pain for not knowing him, and the loss of experiencing my life with him. War is evil, and it is not healthy for children, animals and other living beings. I hope this madness goes away soon. I hope for the best for Dana and Leia.
June 22, 2008
9:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
hikingartist writes:
"Meanwhile, the shrill whining of the hatemongers that have NEVER volunteered to serve anyone other than their pet political agenda, continues on unabated" -rickg19611
It really bugged me too rick; all the Republicans that voted against a decorated war vets like John Kerry (or John McCain in the 2000 primary) and voted for drunken frat boy Bush, all in the name of "patriotism". These people did nothing to help the cause they voted for, no volunteering, no sacrifice, unless you count driving an SUV with a yellow ribbon on it.
Thank you for your service Ryan Baum; I am sorry you were misled.