How East Tennessee has honored and remembered SSG Ryan Knauss since he was killed in Afghanistan

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – It has been three years since Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Knauss, a Corryton native, was one of 13 servicemembers killed in the deadly Kabul airport bombing during the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021.

Previous Coverage: 23-year-old Knoxville soldier killed in Kabul airport attack

In the three years since he was killed, East Tennessee has continued to honor and remember Knauss.

In the months after his death, a pedestrian bridge was planned to be built and named after him at Gibbs High School, his alma mater.

Work was set to begin on the project earlier this year, but Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said it was delayed.

Previous Coverage: Work on pedestrian bridge honoring Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss delayed, mayor’s office says

The bridge, when complete, will go across Tazewell Pike between Gibbs Middle and Gibbs High schools.

The nonprofit Respect and Remember Foundation, also known as R2Factor, has helped honor and remember Knauss with several community events, including raising money for the Gibbs High School JROTC, the Tennessee Fallen Heroes Hike and Ride and the Mountain Man Memorial March.

The University of Tennessee and Gibbs High School have both honored Knauss with scholarships named after him.

Rep. Tim Burchett also introduced a bill earlier this year in response to Knauss’s death that would require the secretary of state to make three reports to distribute to the necessary congressional committees.

Burchett said part of the reason he introduced the bill was because Knauss died during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying back in June that “We need to make sure our tax dollars don’t go towards terrorists who killed Americans.”

Previous Coverage: Bill in response to SSG Ryan Knauss’ death, defunding terrorists, passes House

The bill passed the House and was introduced in the Senate, where it needs to pass in order to be sent to the president to be signed into law.

Knauss was also honored on Friday with his name being inscribed on a monument in World’s Fair Park that honors service members from East Tennessee who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Also on Friday, a parking spot at Nine Line Apparel in Pigeon Forge was dedicated to Knauss. It includes a QR Code that can be scanned to learn more about Knauss’s life and his ultimate sacrifice.

Honoring and remembering Knauss has gone beyond East Tennessee, with events that have been held recently in Kentucky and North Carolina.

Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.