Ryan Donnelly

Ryan Donnelly served in the United States Marine Corps and obtained the rank of Sergeant E-5. For his valor, he earned the Purple Heart.

Mr. Donnelly enlisted in the Corps shortly after graduating high school. He served our Nation through four deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Okinawa as part of the 2nd Battalion 6th Marines.

In October 2005, while serving in Iraq, he suffered injuries when the Humvee he was traveling in was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). Due to the extensive injuries he endured in the attack, he had his right leg amputated above the knee.

Following an honorable discharge in 2006, Mr. Donnelly sought to help his fellow veterans by working with the Wounded Warrior Project. Through that program, he became involved in the plumbing trade and worked diligently with the Helmets to Hardhats program to become a licensed union plumber.

Mr. Donnelly met his wife, Tina, an Army veteran and a nurse, in 2009, and they were married in 2013. Prior to their wedding, the couple was selected as the recipients of a home in Lake Ronkonkoma in recognition of his service to his Nation.

The home was built through the efforts of many volunteers, under the leadership of the Long Island Home Builder Care Development Corp., the charitable arm of the Long Island Builders Institute through the “Building New Homes for Returning Veterans” program.

Mr. Donnelly is a native of Centereach, and is a 2002 graduate of Newfield High School, where he played baseball and football and was named the Male Athlete of the Year in his senior year.

Mr. Donnelly is the son of Kevin, and the younger brother of Kevin. He is also the proud son of his late mother, Barbara, who served as a registered nurse for 40 years.