Ronald A. Gill, Jr. was solid as a rock and had a heart of gold.

"Ronnie" was killed in the line of duty on Sunday, March 25, 2007 while conducting operations north of Vashon Island in Puget Sound. PS3 Gill was a member of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST 91111) deployed from Anchorage to Seattle when he was ejected from a 25-foot Defender Class Boat.

At 6-feet and about 215 pounds, Ronnie was strong and athletic, but friends and family knew him best as a gentle, joyful young man with a mischievous sense of humor and an infectious smile.

Born in Inglewood, California, Ronnie had compassionate brown eyes and cared for his loved ones as much as his country. He graduated in 1998 from Cranston High School West, and went on to earn his degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University. Following in his father’s footsteps and his own prediction, after graduation he worked as a chef at Café Itri in Cranston’s Knighstville section.

After a couple of years cooking, Ronnie told his father he wanted to do something different with his life and eventually enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve unit based on Cape Cod. He loved the challenge and worked hard to eventually become a full-time guardsman, jumping at the opportunity to be assigned to Alaska as part of a homeland security unit.

• More about Ronnie Gill, Jr. by Ron Gill, Sr.
• Half Full or Half Empty? by Sgt Brian Soscia, USMC
• Scholarship Recipients
• Memorial Dedications

Ronnie was assigned to the Coast Guard's Maritime Safety and Security Team in Anchorage, Alaska. It was there that he met his wife Ambur who gave birth to their daughter, Gracie, on September 21, 2007.

Ronnie dedicated his life to the service of his country and the preservation of freedom. The PS3 Ronald A. Gill, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Foundation is dedicated in his honor.