Former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, who President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor in 2018, has died. He was 41.
A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Shurer died of cancer on Thursday at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., his wife Miranda Shurer said. He was given the Medal of Honor for rescuing soldiers while under heavy gunfire. After being discharged, he worked with the Secret Service.
“He was an amazing man. Obviously, he is known for being an amazing soldier,” Miranda Shurer said. “The same characteristics that made him a great teammate in special forces also made him a great husband and a great father and a great friend. He was very loved.”
Shurer, a medical sergeant in the special forces, received the nation’s highest military honor for his valor on April 6, 2008. Militants began firing guns and rocket-powered grenades at his team, and after stabilizing one service member, Shurer went deeper into the gunfire to assist other team members. He treated four others and helped get them out of harm’s way by lowering those who were injured down a cliff, all while continuing to face enemy gunfire.
After being honorably discharged about a year later, Shurer took a job as a special agent with the Secret Service based in Arizona. He ended up working in the agency’s Special Operations Division. The Secret Service posted a photo of Shurer on Thursday and said his “memory and legacy will live on forever.”
“Today, we lost an American Hero: Husband, Father, Son, Medal of Honor Recipient – Special Agent Ronald J. Shurer II. From a grateful Nation and Agency,” the tweet read.
Today, we lost an American Hero: Husband, Father, Son, Medal of Honor Recipient – Special Agent Ronald J. Shurer II. From a grateful Nation and Agency – your memory and legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/stCRfifoSC
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) May 14, 2020
Shurer is set to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery after restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic are lifted. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
