Ronnie Lee Zimmerman, Sr., (70), of Port St. Lucie, FL passed away peacefully at home with his wife Cecilia "Sally" and grandson Blake by his side.

Ronnie was born on June 26 ^th , 1951 in Wauseon, Ohio to Donald and Leola Zimmerman. He joined the USS Navy in June 1969 just before his 18 ^th birthday, as he didn't want to wait to be drafted. Ronnie had a first cousin who was in the Marine Corps and spent '67 & '68 in Vietnam as a tunnel rat.  In no uncertain words did his cousin tell Ronnie if he waited to get drafted he wouldn't be going to Boot Camp by Bus, Train or Plane, but by him kicking his ass all the way there.  Ronnie took his Induction Physical and swearing-in at the AFEES Station in Cleveland, OH and left for Sunny San Diego, CA for Navy Recruit Training.

After boot camp, Ronnie attended SK "A" School training in San Diego.  Upon graduation, he received orders with all sorts of funny acronyms on the orders where he was going.  When Ronnie asked his 1 ^st Class Petty Officer what they meant, he said, "Son, you are going to Vietnam"… Before Ronnie left he attended heavy forklift school at the Seabee Base in Port Hueneme, CA and Counter Insurgency/Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape training in Coronado & Camp Pendleton, CA.

Ronnie's first duty in Vietnam was in Da Nang. After a few months there, he was transferred to Saigon and then to a U.S. Naval Advanced Tactical Support Base in the Southern tip of Vietnam. His team was so far south of all the other bases that they were in "Indian Territory!"  After Vietnam, He was transferred to a U.S. Naval Communications Station in Morocco, where he was assigned to the Special Services Department.  Ronnie ended up managing the riding stables because he was the only one in the department that knew how to saddle a horse.  Ronnie married Sally in July 1971 and took her with him to Morocco. Yep! She put up with him for 50 years to date….

Ronnie left Morocco and was transferred to the USS Great Sitkin in 1972, where he ended his first enlistment in June 1973.  He got out of the Navy at that time and went back into the civilian labor force and entered college.  It soon became apparent to him that being a Vietnam Combat Veteran at that point in time and trying to go to college just wasn't conducive to staying out of fights.  Ronnie quit college and reenlisted in February 1974 in the TAR program (fully active Naval Reservist).   He was stationed at the Naval Reserve Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, on staff.

In the fall of 1977, Ronnie left Great Lakes for Portland Maine, where he was stationed on the USS Affray (MSO-511) until spring 1980 when he was transferred to the USS Fearless (MSO-442), in Charleston, SC.  He left the Fearless in spring of 1982 for the Naval & Marine Corps Reserve Center, Louisville, KY, until the fall of 1985 when he was transferred to the staff of Craft of Opportunity, Mine Squadron 11, Seattle, WA.  He retired from the navy on February 28, 1990.

Ronnie had a great time (for the most part) during his 20 years active duty.  The things he experience, he never could have had, had he not joined the Navy.  Ronnie was able to see a lot of his country and the world.  He met a lot of wonderful people over the years and formed a lot of lasting friendships, including his wife. Sally is not only his wife but his best friend who has stood beside him through the thick and thin over the years.

After retirement, Ronnie went into real estate and ended up specializing in Property Management and ultimately owned his own business until he retired (again) and moved to Port St Lucie, FL in July 2005. During this time, he was "found" by George Kalser who passed his name along to Glenn Frankenbach in 1999.  Frank contacted him, and Ronnie joined the Association.  AT the Y2000 annual reunion in Cleveland, OH, Glenn roped him into becoming the Association President. Since then, he couldn't "give" the position away. (That's Okay! George Kaiser was at the same reunion and while he was laughing at Ronnie getting roped in, he got voted in as Treasurer).

Ronnie was survived by his wife, Cecilia "Sally" Zimmerman, of Port St Lucie; son, Ronnie Zimmerman, Jr. (Dusty) of Seattle, WA; son Jason (Shawna) Zimmerman of Port St. Lucie, FL; grandson, Blake Zimmerman of Port St Lucie, FL; granddaughter, Rayliegh Zimmerman of Seattle WA; brother, Richard Zimmerman of Leesburg, KA; sister, Terri Volkman of Wauseon, OH; and  sister, Vicki Dopp (William) of Archbold, OH.  He was preceded in death by his parents Donald and Leola Zimmerman.