Soldier donates flag flown over Iraq

  • Published
  • By Bethany Buckingham
  • 20th Combat Aviation Brigade
Columbia, Mo. --  More than 56,000 University of Missouri fans cheered as Staff Sgt. Ryan Coday, from the Missouri National Guard's 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, presented a special flag to the University of Missouri during Military Appreciation Day Sept. 22, at the MU versus Illinois State University football game.

During the half-time presentation, Sergeant Coday donated a University of Missouri flag that had been flown during a combat mission in Iraq. 

The flag was flown in an AH-64A Apache Helicopter on a combat mission over Ramadi, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom March17.

Sergeant Coday, a native of Columbia, Mo., attended the University of Missouri for a short period before joining the National Guard in 2000. 

He is a mechanic/maintainer of the AH-64A Apache helicopter. Sergeant Coday decided to have the flag flown while deployed in Iraq with the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Texas Army National Guard.

"It was a matter of pride," Sergeant Coday said. "All we kept hearing about was Texas this and Texas that, while I was deployed. I wanted to make sure the Missouri group was represented too." 

So he had a University of Missouri Flag sent to him and he placed it in the helicopter for its special flight.

A plaque accompanying the flag read, "The flag represents the American resolve following the Sept. 11th, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and bears witness to the fight against the terrorist forces threatening the United States of America and the free world."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, call 1-888-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.