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<em>Ronald Lloyd Zinn</em> was a cadet who possessed several outstanding virtues, but it was his determination to succeed that allowed him to overcome any difficulty. Although marching, and even running, were sometimes difficult for Ron, he went on to become an Olympic-class race walker. He represented the U.S.A. in Rome and again in Tokyo. He was relentless in his efforts to succeed as a cadet and as an Olympian. His loving parents and family saw how his efforts bore fruit time and time again. They were extremely proud of Ron. The Zinns knew he was one of “America’s finest.” COL Richard “Dick” Kent remembers his former roommate: “Even after 41 years, I remember Ron as a truly modest, honest, and straightforward person with a dry sense of humor. He made lots of Corps Squad trips but usually managed to bring something back for his roommates. He spent more than a few weekends at our home in Manhattan Beach and was well liked by everyone there. I guess the thing that sticks with me the most after all this time is my recollection of Ron’s level-headedness and his fundamental decency.”</p>
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That’s the way I remember Ron, too, as we shared the rigors of cadet life in Company C-1. Ron and I also ended up in the same company Yearling year at Camp Buckner. This was fortunate for both of us, since our company won the Buckner Stakes training competition. As a result, Ron and I both celebrated Labor Day weekend with a three-day pass in NYC. I still have a picture of us standing around the piano at Joe King’s Ratskeller, our glasses raised in unison to the beat of our favorite drinking song. Another fond memory of Ron occurred during our First Class year when I was on holiday leave. Sitting in the basement of my girlfriend’s house, I turned on the television and tuned in to a track meet being held at Madison Square Garden. Ron was clearly visible on the screen as he power-walked his way to the front of the pack. My immediate reaction was to proudly exclaim, “That’s my classmate, Ron, and he’s on his way to another victory!”</p>
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Dick Kent also recalls memories from First Class year, after Ron had been in the Olympics: “Lots of other cadets, myself included, would challenge Ron to informal walking races. After all, how hard could it be? We all probably harbored secret hopes of beating the champ. At first, Ron would sort of humor us and let us win. If we became too obnoxious or insistent, he would reluctantly, and with a degree of resignation, show us the basic points of Olympic walking and how sorry we really were. It was done without malice and in genuinely good humor, but it left me in total awe of Ron’s capabilities and self-discipline. If you pressed him for stories of what the Olympics were like, he would never talk about himself but would make an observation about his fellow athletes and his respect for them, even those from Warsaw Pact countries.”</p>
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Ron is not only remembered by family and classmates, but also by the comrades-in-arms with whom he served. On 21 Apr 2000, Ron’s company commander in Viet Nam, Infantry LTC Roy Lombardo, placed a wreath on Ron’s grave at the West Point cemetery and addressed the assembly of “Bravo Bulls.” He said: “We, veterans of Co. B, 2-503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, assemble today in memory of LT Ron Zinn, not to praise you, but to remember you. There are 64 veterans of Company B, in contact by letters and email, and all who served with you remember you with camaraderie and respect.”</p>
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In his eulogy, LTC Lombardo observed: “We remember a young officer, described by his Military Academy classmates as fun-loving yet ascetic in his physical training regimen; a tough wrestler with a unique ability to absorb pain while outlasting his opponents; a world class track Olympian, participating in the 1960 Olympics while still a cadet, and in the 1964 Olympics after commissioning; as a lean, muscular lieutenant who joined us on Okinawa and led the company track team to the battalion championship. We remember a newly married officer, anxious to become proficient at his Infantry assignment but equally anxious to have his bride, Barbara, join him on Okinawa.</p>
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“We remember a dedicated soldier who worked night and day to master his trade in the jungles of War Zone D and to win the trust of his men, for whom he cared deeply. We remember a determined leader, who, on 7 July 1965, rushed to the aid of his wounded squad leader, only to succumb to enemy fire. In so doing, you became the first officer KIA in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and one of the first in Viet Nam.”</p>
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Inspired by Ron’s selfless example, Bravo’s battered heroes turned the tide of battle. In the process, they garnered a Medal of Honor, two Distinguished Service Crosses, four Silver Stars, 14 Commendation Medals, and more than 100 Purple Hearts. Ron’s valor was emulated over and over again.</p>
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In addition to the military, the athletic community also commemorates Ron. Each year in Asbury Park, NJ, an event is held for all would-be champion walkers, and I even participated in the CPT Ronald Zinn Memorial Races one year. I didn’t win any prizes, but I still treasure the T-shirt I received bearing his name.</p>
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There are many of us still left on this earth who never will forget Ron as a brave soldier, a world-class athlete, and a real class guy. His name is not only engraved on the Viet Nam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, and his tombstone in the West Point Cemetery, it is also etched in the hearts of all of us who were fortunate enough to have known him.</p>
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Sleep well, old friend, you are not forgotten. Pax vobiscum.</p>