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The following biography was written by NC Times.Com

Clifford "Cliff" G. Tryon, 86, died on July 5, 2005. Born July 21, 1918, in Shamrock, Missouri, He grew up in Denver, Colo., spending many days hiking the mountains with his friends. As a young man, he enlisted in the Marines in 1938, and completed basic training in San Diego and Hawaii. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he served in the Pacific, participating in the Okinawa campaign until its conclusion with the 29th Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division and the occupation of Japan, with the 4th Regimental Combat Team.

Tryon was also a member of the Marine Corps rifle and pistol teams from 1949 to 1959 and qualified as a Distinguished Pistol Shot in 1950, and as Distinguished Marksman in 1954.

Other awards include: first place, Western Division Rifle Competition, Weapons Training Battalion, San Diego, Ca., on April 21, 1949; Regional Champion, Southeastern High Power Rifle Regional Tournament, Fort Benning, Ga., in July 1954. National Champion, National Rifle Matches, Camp Perry, Ohio in August 1954, establishing a new national record of 628-56V with the NRA Match Rifle. Off-Hand Champion, Southeastern High Power Rifle Regional Tournament, Fort Benning, Ga., in July 1955, establishing a new national service record and national co-holder record of 100-12V. Regional Champion, Hawaiian High Power Regional Match, Honolulu, Hawaii, in May 1959.

Cliff retired from 26 years of active military service, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division on November 30, 1963, at Camp Pendleton at the rank of major. Thereafter, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 15 years in North San Diego County.