Ronald George Luce, Jr. - Captain, United States Army

U.S. Department of Defense

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 581-09
August 04, 2009

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device August 2, 2009 in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan.

Killed were:

Captain Ronald G. Luce Jr., 27, of Fayetteville, North Carolina

Sergeant First Class Alejandro Granado, 42, of Fairfax, Virginia

Sergeant First Class Severin W. Summers III, 43, of Bentonia, Mississippi

All three soldiers were members of the Mississippi Army National Guard, and assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Jackson, Mississippi.

Alabama Guard member slain in Afghanistan to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery
13 August 2009

Captain Ron Luce, an Alabama National Guard Special Forces officer killed earlier this month in Afghanistan, is to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, state Guard headquarters said today.

Captain Luce, 27, a member of the 20th Special Forces Group which is headquartered in Birmingham, was killed August 2 in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. At the time of his death, Luce was serving as a team commander.

Captain Luce, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was assigned to the 20th Group’s 1st Battalion in Huntsville. Lieutenant Colonel Randall Zeegers of Chelsea headed the Huntsville battalion before taking command of the 20th earlier this year.

Also killed in the same bomb attack were Sergeants First Class Severin W. Summers, 43, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Alejandro Grenado 42, of Tatum, Texas. Both were assigned to the 20th’s 2nd Battalion, based in Jackson, Mississippi.

Services for Luce were held today at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. An Alabama Guard press release said Luce would be buried later at Arlington, but did not specify when.

Luce’s survivors include his wife, Kendahl, and a daughter, Carrie.

Courtesy of the United States Army:

Captain Ronald G. Luce died while conducting combat operations in the Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan August 2, 2009, while serving as the Special Forces Team Commander with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi.

Luce, 27, was killed when a command wire improvised explosive device struck his vehicle while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Luce, born in Julian, California, enrolled in ROTC at Valley Forge Military Academy and became a commissioned officer in 2002. In 2005 attended the Special Forces Qualification Course, graduating May 2008 as an 18A, Team Commander and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (A) as a Liaison Officer. He was reassigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (A) as a Detachment Commander.

Luce’s military and civilian educations include a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He also attended the Infantry Officer’s Basic Course, Infantry Captain’s Career Course, Ranger School and Airborne School.

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Luce also earned the Parachutist Badge, and Ranger and Special Forces Tabs.

Luce is survived by his wife Kendahl and daughter Carrie of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

A life of service, wherever the need
Army captain who ‘just impressed people’ is buried at Arlington
By Yamiche Alcindor
Courtesy of The Washington Post
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Whether it was helping people recover after a hurricane or fighting in Afghanistan, Captain Ronald G. Luce loved serving his country.

Luce was one of three soldiers killed August 2, 2009, in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb.

Wednesday, more than 100 friends and family members gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to bid the dedicated soldier farewell. The sound of hooves from the horses pulling the caisson, which carried Luce’s cherry wood coffin, and the beat of the U.S. Army Band’s drums preceded the large funeral party as it slowly made its way down a nearby hill.

Luce, 27, was a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard and was serving as Special Forces team commander with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), headquartered in Jackson, Miss. Luce was born in Julian, California, and most recently lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with his wife, Kendahl Shoemaker, and their daughter, Carle.

He was remembered as a strong soldier with a commanding presence and a keen sense of integrity.

“Ron is the kind of guy that would have been disappointed if he couldn’t go to the conflict that our armed forces are involved in,” said Steve Murphree, a biology professor at Belmont University in Nashville, who taught Luce. The captain received a bachelor of science degree in biology from the university.

“He was obviously a military guy, and I think a lot of his strength came out because of that,” Murphree said.

Murphree described Luce as a dedicated student who balanced military duties with schoolwork and never complained. In fall 2004, Murphree said, Luce took several weeks off from school to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Ivan struck the Gulf Coast. When Luce returned to his embryology course, Murphree said, his former student worked hard to catch up and earned a good grade.

“I was really impressed with his integrity as a student,” Murphree said. “He worked hard and was sincere about making up the work. He just impressed people.” Murphree hopes to establish a biology scholarship in Luce’s name for Belmont students.

Luce enrolled in ROTC at Valley Forge Military Academy and College and became a commissioned officer in 2002. Six years later, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was later reassigned to the 20th Special Forces Group.

Luce also attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Captains Career Course, Ranger School and Airborne School. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

When the burial service ended Wednesday, the tears flowed. One soldier, dressed immaculately in a green beret and shiny black boats, wiped tears from his eyes as he left the grave site. Luce’s widow, now a young single mother, cradled her daughter in her arms and stared at the soldier’s coffin.

The horse drawn caisson carries the remains of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., who was with 20th
Special Forces Group, during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

More than 100 peopled attended a burial service Wednesday at Arlington Cemetery
for Captain Ronald G. Luce, who was killed in Afghanistan

The horse drawn caisson carries the remains of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., who was with 20th
Special Forces Group, during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Special Forces soldiers salute as the honor guard carries the remains of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr.,
who was with 20th Special Forces Group during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery

The honor guard carries the remains of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., who was with 20th Special Forces
Group during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

The flag is folded over the casket with the remains of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., as Kendahl
Shoemaker, holds daughter Carle Luce, during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Army Secreatry John McHugh, right, watches as Major General William Freeman of the Mississippi National Guard,
brings a flag to relatives of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., who was with 20th Special Forces Group during funeral
services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Captain Luce’s wife, Kendahl Shoemaker, and daughter, Carle, receive the
American flag from Major General William Freeman during the service

Army Secretary John McHugh gives his condolences to Kendahl Shoemaker widow, left, daughter Carle E. Luce,
and parents Ronald and Elizabeth Luce, relatives of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., who was with 20th Special
Forces Group during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Special Forces soldiers stand in line to give condolences to the family of Army Captain Ronald G. Luce, Jr., who
was with 20th Special Forces Group, during funeral services at Arlington Cemetery Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009.

LUCE, RONALD GEORGE JR

CPT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/06/1982
DATE OF DEATH: 08/02/2009
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8946
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard

Ronald George Luce, Jr. – Captain, United States Army

U.S. Department of Defense

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