WO1 RONALD E. MEDLIN, USAR
Naval Academy Register
Ronald Ellis Medlin was admitted to the Naval Academy from Kansas on July 5, 1960 at age 19 years 9 months. (Date of birth given as October 9, 1940.)He voluntarily resigned on March 10, 1961.
Loss
Ronald was lost on June 15, 1965 when the UH-1D helicopter he was aboard collided with another during a training exercise at Fort Benning, Georgia. Seventeen other men were also lost in this crash. He was a member of the 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 11th Air Assault Division.
Photographs
Other Information
From the October 1965 issue of Shipmate:
Warrant Officer Medlin, a member of the class of 1964, was with the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) at Fort Benning. He was born in Kansas City, Kan.
Survivors include his widow, Patricia, of Fort Mitchell, Ala.; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Medlin, and sisters, Deanne and Deborah, of 1014 N. 21st Place, Kansas City.
(The article identified him as a member of the Army Reserve; his name does not appear in either the 1964 or 1965 editions of the Army Register of Active Officers.)
From researcher Kathy Franz:
In January 1958, Ronald and five other boys from Wyandotte high school participated in a two-day visit to the atomic laboratories at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Per the Kansas City Star: “Ronald . . . a future physician, was interested in the effects of radiation in genetics. “I was amazed to find out that Oak Ridge maintains probably the largest mice colony in the world, some half-million rodents,” Medlin said. “They use approximately 1,000 mice a week in studying the effects of radiation on heredity by breaking down chromosomes, the determinants of inherited traits.”
At the time, Ronald’s research project was studying the effect of cross-breeding of fruit flies. He graduated from Wyandotte high school in 1958. Biology Club, Chemistry Club, Chess Club, Classical Club, Design for Living, Football, Kay Cees, Orchestra, Science Field Club, Variety Show.
At graduation, Ronald received a scholarship from N.R.O.T.C. for $50 each month plus tuition, books and fees.
Ronald attended the University of Kansas where he was a pledge to Kappa Sigma fraternity, active in the Army Officer Training program, and a member of the Navy Rifle Team.
He was accepted to the Naval Academy in 1960 but resigned in March, 1961.
He enlisted in the Army and was stationed for 26 months in Etain, France.
In September 1964, he graduated from a helicopter aviator course at Ft. Rucker, Alabama.
Ronald married Patricia Carol Cox on September 6, 1964, at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pensacola, Florida.
Ronald is buried in Kansas.
Memorial Hall Error
Ronald is not listed with his classmates. This oversight was discovered by reviewing the October 1965 issue of Shipmate.
The Register of Alumni lists only his name as a non-graduate of the Class of 1964.
Ronald is one of 25 members of the Class of 1964 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
