Veteran of the Week: Ron Klein
Ron Klein (File Photo)
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – By the time Ron Klein joined the United States Army at 19, he had already been self-sufficient for three years, having lived on his own since age 16.
After graduating high school in Salt Lake City in 1967, Klein went to college and “lasted about six weeks.” He re-enrolled in the spring semester and lasted two weeks, and it was then that Klein decided to enlist in the Army.
“Probably like a lot of 19-year-olds that didn’t know what to do,” Klein said.
Klein went through basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas and advanced training in Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Klein was trained as a clerk typist and took courses to become a parachutist, but was sent to Vietnam in 1968 and became an infantryman with a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) team.
“It was just one of those casual sort of conversations,” Klein recalled. “That’s kind of how the Army was back then.”
The LRRPs were six-man groups that ventured out deep into enemy territory, “out in the jungles where there weren’t any other U.S. troops.” The teams carried out missions that would last between 30 and 45 days and would report any firefights they might become involved in. The Army would then map out a region based on these harrowing scouting reports from the LRRPs.
After three months in that capacity, Klein fell ill with malaria. After serving his three years, Klein was discharged and went back to college.
“This time I seemed to like [college] a lot more,” Klein said with a laugh.
Klein rejoined the Army again after college, but as a commissioned officer. He spent 17 years as an armored officer and served in places such as Fort Knox, Ky., St. Louis and Fort Lewis, Wash. in the aftermath of the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1983.
After discharging from the army for a second time, Klein worked for defense contractors out of St. Louis before BRAC brought him to the Huntsville area in the mid 90s. Klein started his own company, Belzon, Inc. – his “personal Mt. Everest.”
“To me, starting a company was a huge challenge,” Klein said.
Today, Klein serves as head of school for Westminster Christian Academy.
If you would like to nominate anyone to be featured as our Veteran of the Week, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Madison, please call The Madison Record at 256-772-6677.
