United States Army Special Forces Staff Sergeant • Line of Duty Death: May 14, 2020

United States Army Special Forces Staff Sergeant Ronald Joseph Shurer II passed away on May 14, 2020 after a grueling battle with service-related cancer.

Shurer was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. Having had a father in the US Air Force, the Shurer family moved around quite a bit. When Shurer was eight years old, they moved to Puyallup, Washington where they remained until he graduated from high school. He loved all things sports and athletics, with involvement in triathlons and cycling. He and his wife, Miranda, met through an online dating site. After talking for a few weeks and meeting in person for the first time, they immediately became inseparable.

Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Shurer felt a calling to serve his country. Although he was just starting graduate school, he left that behind to enlist in the US Army in November of 2002. He loved the brotherhood of Special Forces and being part of a team. Shurer earned his Green Beret after completing the Special Forces Medic Course, which was a notable accomplishment. In addition, he was awarded with a Silver Star in 2008 which later was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 2018. In the Spring of 2017, Shurer was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer as a result of his service. He sadly succumbed to his illness in May of 2020.

Currently, Miranda and her children reside in the community where they moved for Shurer’s USSS job in 2014, with the intention of moving after a few years. It then became their long-term community upon Shurer falling ill, and also became a place that they loved. After Shurer was awarded the Medal of Honor, the community center and pool were renamed in his honor. Miranda and her children love the summer swim program and being involved in their local church. In the future, she is excited to continue to watch her children grow and focus on doing everything possible to ensure they grow into the best version of themselves. With the help from the Foundation, Miranda has an extra layer of security over herself and her children. She would like others to know that her husband took much pride in being in Special Forces and the Secret Service, but above all, his most important and loved role was being a dad.

United States Army Special Forces Staff Sergeant Ronald Joseph Shurer II is survived by his loving wife, Miranda, and his children.