My family's roots started at Fort Riley and Ogden Kansas when my grandfather Martin J. McGuire served in the U.S. Cavalry at Fort Riley. He married Vurley Wood of Ogden Kansas (year unknown). Martin J. McGuire later was appointed as the first civilian Fire Chief at Fort Riley in 1925.
A home was built for him and his family at the corner of Hubner Road and Officer's Club drive on post. It was known as the "Bungalow". Materials used in the construction of the home were scrap supplies. Brick from paved roads and demolized buildings served as the front of the limestone home. The porch supports were drainage pipe.
Family stories tell of a corner stone at the home where my grandfather included objects. It is believed the corner stone is located at the south west corner of the house.
Information on this house can be obtained from the Fort Riley Cavalry Museum on post.
During their stay in that home they had 4 children; Dennis Leo, Loretta Elizabeth, Helen and Mary.

The family later moved to 123 Hubner road. This house was one of the first buildings on post and is located directly across the road from St. Mary's Catholic Church at Fort Riley. There they added to their brood with the addition of
Martin J.jr, Vurley, Marcella,Thomas and Margaret.

They adopted Martin Earnest in the 1920's. My grandparents lost two children. John and Ruth who was Vurley's twin.
Upon his retirement the family moved to 222 South Jefferson Street in Junction City. The house still stands and appears much as it did when it was constructed as a beautiful "Victorian" style residence.

Martin J. sr died in 1950, Vurley died in 1977
They are buried in the Catholic Cementary in Ogden Kansas.

My father, Edward Garrick Byrne joined the army in Oklahoma in the early 1930's and came to Fort Riley to serve in the cavalry. He served from the time when horses were still a major part of the military training and saw the introduction of the Mechanized Army.
He married my mother Loretta E. McGuire in September of 1937 at St. Mary's Catholic Church at Fort Riley.

During World War II he and my mother traveled to Germany.
In 1941 they had their son James G. Byrne in what is now the Main Post Headquarters building. At the time it was the Army Hospital.
In 1950, while stationed in Omaha Nebraska, they had their first daughter Marcella. I was born in 1957 at Fort Riley in temporary hospital located in what was once Camp Whitside, prior to the completion of Irwin Army Hospital.
My father retired in Junction City and worked in the Intellegence Dept. as a civil service employee until his retirement to civilian life in 1977.
He later served as Executive Director of the United Way of Geary County in 1977.

Edward G. Byrne passed away at his home in Junction City, Kansas on May 5th, 1990. Loretta followed him on June 1st, 1993. They are buried at St. Mary's Cementary in Junction City.

Fort Riley are my roots but Junction City will always be home. There's no place like home, and no place like Kansas!