Danna Shirley
My
husband’s superior performance as an enlisted man brought a recommendation for
him to participate in NESEP (Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program),
which allowed him to receive a college education. Ron graduated from Ole Miss
in 1974 with an Engineering degree. With this degree came a promotion from being
a 3rd Class ET to an Officer
and a Gentleman. Moving quickly through the ranks, he was securely headed
toward a naval career. At this point he had served nine years toward a 20-year
retirement. His life’s course was set and there was no reason that it would not
be achieved.
Then the
bottom dropped out. Ron had experienced histamine headaches (better known as
cluster headaches) on one of his Viet Nam deployments. Another episode of these
headaches occurred while attending college and another when he was on shore
duty in the Philippines. Due to this debilitating condition during these
periods, the Navy returned him stateside for a medical evaluation. It was decided
that he would be given a temporary separation from the Navy with the option to
be re-evaluated in five years with the possibility of returning to active
duty.
Ron was
devastated! Not only was he suffering with these excruciating headaches, but the
Navy had short-circuited his life’s goal. We returned to his home state of
Alabama to rest, recuperate, and reconsider our future. Eventually the
headaches ceased after a few months, as they always did.
When I
became pregnant with our third child, Ron had to make another decision about
our future. He wanted to stay close to his parents and siblings and his Alabama
roots, so he began submitting his resume to local industry, but with most of
his experience being in a shipyard, there were no promising opportunities in landlocked
Montgomery, Alabama.
By the time
Aaron was born in September 1980, Ron realized that nothing local was going to
materialize. When he expanded his employment search nationwide, he was immediately
picked up by a Navy contractor. Christmas found us in Moorestown, New Jersey
while he received training in a new weapons defense program called AEGIS, which
was ground-floor to everyone there. AEGIS was being installed on our Navy ships
in Bathe, Maine and Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Eight months
later we happily left New Jersey with smiles on our faces and a song in our
heart to the tune of “Sweet Home Alabama” playing on the radio. We arrived in
Mississippi in August 1981. As we pulled up to our rental with a U-Haul in tow,
the neighbor across the street greeted us before we could even get out of the
car…we were home (south) again.
Ron had one
more series of cluster headaches after our arrival in Mississippi and then they
were finally gone . . . forever!
He worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding but for three different contractors under the AEGIS Program: SYSCON,
Naval Surface Weapons Center (NSWC)
out of Dahlgren, VA, and finally Computer
Science Corporation (CSC) out of
Moorestown, NJ. His Naval career had come to an end but God had brought us back
full circle—working on Navy contracts aboard destroyers.
With AEGIS
being so new, Ron applied his time and efforts to just reading the manuals, day
after day after day, until he felt he could work on the program and the equipment
with confidence. The team faced two stacks of work from which everyone chose
their assignments: the easy stack of problems and the difficult stack. Ron
began to tackle the latter feeling that if he could solve them, he could solve
anything. When he was able to unravel them as quickly as the others, he stood
out in the crowd. That was the beginning of earning an exemplary reputation in
his field.
After his
five-year temporary separation had passed, Ron received a letter from the Navy requesting
that he report for a medical re-evaluation. He had the option to return to
active duty or accept an Honorable Discharge and make his separation permanent.
His career with CSC was thriving and with the opportunity to practice his skill
at trouble-shooting problems, which challenged him with great satisfaction, he made
the decision to continue as a civilian! He worked on the AEGIS Test Team from
1981 through 2003. Five of those years were spent in Japan working with the
Japanese Navy, who also requested his return to Japan every year for their
ship’s annual review.
Hindsight
is 20-20. I always told friends that the Navy was good to Ron by giving him
that education he never would have received on his own. He always said they
never gave it to him—he earned every
bit of it! J
As a member
of the AEGIS Test Team, he went further and achieved more than he ever could have
if he had stayed in the Navy, even to the point of rubbing elbows with admirals.
The Navy did get their money’s worth, however, even if it was through naval
contracts instead of as an active duty officer.
Ron’s last promotion was to Principal
Computer Scientist, just one level below the Vice-President of the company. He
could have never reached such a position through Naval ranks. A few days after his
death I received the following two letters:
AEGIS SHIPBUILDING
PROGRAM MANAGER
1333 ISAAC HULL
AVE, SE
WASHINGTON NAVY
YARD, DC 20376
February
22, 2003
Mrs.
Ronald Shirley
11804
Bluff Ridge Road
Vancleave,
MS 39565
Dear
Mrs. Shirley,
It was
with great sadness and regret that I learned of the death of your husband. Ron
has been an exceptionally valuable, productive and dedicated member of the
Aegis shipbuilding community for many years. As an Aegis Test Team Plankowner,
Ron’s vast technical experience ensured that the U.S. Navy’s warships, and
America’s sons and daughters, would sail into harm’s way with the very best,
most capable fighting equipment. Thousands of U.S. Sailors serving off the remote
and hostile coasts of Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, in the
Persian Gulf, and in support of anti-Terrorist operations in Afghanistan served
the cause of Freedom better, smarter, and more effectively because of Ron. He
was a true friend and mentor to countless numbers of Civilian engineers, both
in the Navy and in the Defense industry. From the CG47 Ship Test Program to the
Lockheed Martin Test Team for Japanese Destroyers, to the integration of
advanced new technology for today’s Aegis Destroyers, Ron’s work has made the
Navy and the world a better, safer, freer place. Ron will be missed by everyone
who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him. You have my, and the
United States Navy’s, deepest condolences on our mutual loss.
Very
Respectfully,
David
Lewis,
Captain,
USN
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
PROGRAM
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
INTEGRATED
WARFARE SYSTEMS
1333
ISAAC HULL AVENUE SE
WASHINGTON
NAVY YARD DC 20376-2301
24
February 2003
FROM: Program Executive Officer Integrated Warfare
Systems
TO:
AEGIS Test Team, (ATT) Pascagoula, Mississippi
We were very saddened to learn of
the passing of Ron Shirley, your lead system administrator. While serving in
USS LEYTE GULF (CG 55) I had the opportunity work closely with Ron and remember
him as a class individual and exceptional technical talent. Ron significantly
contributed to the success of the AEGIS Shipbuilding Program and his
accomplishments were numerous, both at ATT Pascagoula and in Japan as a member
of the Lockheed Martin Test Team supporting of AEGIS’ introduction into KONGO
Class Japanese Destroyers. Upon his return, Ron once again stepped into the
foreground and was singularly responsible for much of ATT’s success in
integrating shipboard Local Area networks (LAN) and COTS equipment with the
implementation of AEGIS Baseline 6 beginning in DDG 79-80. Ron was highly respected
throughout the AEGIS community and all who had the pleasure of knowing him and
working with him.
Speaking for his extended AEGIS
family, our prayers and condolences go out to Ron’s family. We will all miss
him.
With
deepest regards,
J.
Irwin
Copy
to:
Danna
Shirley
************************************************************
RONALD
KLINE SHIRLEY
January
24, 1947 – February 20, 2003
NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL
The Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medal may be awarded to members of the Armed Forces in the grades
of lieutenant commander (or major) and below. It is awarded for meritorious
service or achievement in either combat or non-combat based on sustained
performance or specific achievement of a superlative nature but which does not
warrant a Navy Commendation Medal or higher. It may not be awarded for service
involving participation in aerial flight after January 1, 1969.
When Awarded For Professional Achievement The act or service must
clearly exceed that which is normally required or expected, considering the
individual's grade or rate, training, and experience; and it must be an
important contribution of benefit to the United States and the naval service.
When Awarded For Leadership Achievement The act or service must be
noteworthy; it must be sufficiently sustained to demonstrate a high state of
development (if for a specific achievement, it must be of such merit as to earn
singular recognition); and, it must reflect most creditably on the efforts of
the individual towards the accomplishment of the unit mission.
NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE
MEDAL
The National Defense Service Medal was awarded for
honorable active service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954;
between 1 January 1961 and 14 August 1974; between 2 August 1990 and 30
November 1995 and between 11 September 2001 and a closing date to be
determined.
VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL
Awarded to all members of the
Armed Forces of the United States serving in Vietnam and contiguous waters or
airspace thereover, after 3 July 1965 through 28 March 1973. Members of the
Armed Forces of the United States in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia, or the
airspace thereover, during the same period and serving in direct support of
operations in Vietnam are also eligible for this award.
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
CAMPAIGN MEDAL
The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal is
awarded to personnel who served in the Republic of Vietnam for six months
during the period of 1 March 1961 and 28 March 1973 or served outside the
geographical limits of the Republic of Vietnam and contributed direct combat
support to the Republic of Vietnam and Armed Forces for six months.
GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL
The Navy Good Conduct Medal
was established by SECNAV on 26 April 1869 to recognize the
"all-around" good Navy enlisted person, well qualified in all phases
of conduct and performance. Effective 1 February 1971, commanding officers were
delegated authority to award the Navy Good Conduct Medal and certificates. The
CNO has review authority over the GCM and designates specific criteria for the
award.
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