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Pfc Edward P. Ryan was a professional jockey. Edward "Paul" Ryan achieved considerable fame as a horse-racing jockey. At one time, he had the 3rd best record of any jockey in the USA. During his career as a jockey he raced horses for actors Robert Stack and Barbara Stanwyck, according to his nephew, James Kopko. Mr. Kopko recounted how Paul Ryan's mother left Johnstown, Pennsylvania at the height of the Great Depression, with her 3 young children in tow, and hitchhiked to Chicago in search of better fortune. This would have been a harrowing experience in and of itself. But, this was during the era when John Dillinger, the notorious gangster, was on the run in the Midwest. So, as she accepted each ride en route to Chicago, this bore heavily on her mind. Once in Chicago, Paul took every chance he could to spend time at the horse racing stables, trying to get a job there so he could be near horses. After 3 years of persistence, he was finally given a chance to ride as a jockey, and on December 27, 1936, at the age of 15, he won his first race, in New Orleans, Louisiana. By May of the following year, he had 48 wins under his belt. His 6-year successful career as a jockey ended when he volunteered for the Army on 18 November 1942, in Chicago, Illinois.

He was awarded the Silver Star Medal posthumously for his actions on 29 March 1945.

In one of the photos Edward is pictured with Heavy-Weight boxing champion Jack Dempsey.