‘We are heartbroken.’ Fort Bragg mourns the loss of Medal of Honor recipient
After a yearslong battle against lung cancer, Medal of Honor recipient and former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II has died, the Secret Service announced Thursday. He was 41.
Shurer joined the military in the wake of 9/11, when he felt called to serve, according to a U.S. Army biography. The Army Special Forces medic began his military career at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, before seeking out his green beret.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of one of our own, SSG Ron Shurer II,” the 3rd Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg said. “Ron was the embodiment of the SF soldier, a dedicated husband, and a loving father. His heroic actions were an inspiration to us all. Our thoughts are, and always will be, with his family.”
He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017. One year later, Shurer was recognized with the Medal of Honor -- the highest military honor available — for braving incoming fire to treat and ultimately save the lives of several fellow soldiers who had been injured during an intense firefight in Afghanistan during a 2008 deployment, ABC News reported.
“We don’t go out on a mission where we don’t expect to meet some resistance, but this was unlike anything we’d ever faced before,” Shurer said of the battle, according to ABC News.
During the medal ceremony, President Donald Trump brought Shurer’s fight with cancer to the fore.
“He’s braved, he’s battled, he’s worked, he’s done everything he can,” Trump said. “He’s been fighting it every single day with courage, with strength, and he’s a warrior.”
After leaving the Army in 2009, Shurer quickly joined the Secret Service and after several years moved to Washington, D.C., where he was part of the U.S. Secret Service Counter Assault Team, according to the U.S. Army bio.
“Today, we lost an American Hero: Husband, Father, Son, Medal of Honor Recipient - Special Agent Ronald J. Shurer II,” the Secret Service said on Twitter. “From a grateful Nation and Agency - your memory and legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace.”
Shurer spent much of his early life in Washington, The Tacoma News Tribune reported. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics from Washington State University and graduated from Rogers High School in Puyallup, which installed a monument in his honor.
Shurer is survived by his wife Miranda and their two sons, according to The Tacoma News Tribune.
