Spc Ronald Andrew Schmidt

Soldier from Iraq killed in Iraq

THIS STORY RAN IN THE PRINT EDITION OF THE NEWTON KANSAN ON AUG. 4, 2008. A member of the Newton High School family passed away Sunday while serving his country in Iraq. Spc. Ronald Andrew Schmidt, 18, known to those who knew him as Ronnie Schmidt and a 2007 Newton High School graduate, died Sunday while serving in Iraq. 'I was really proud of Ronnie when he graduated,' assistant principal Roger Erickson said. 'He was a special kid that I just couldn't forget.' One of the photos closest to Erickson's desk in his office is of he and Schmidt singing Christmas carols at the school during the 2006-07 school year.

In addition to his studies, Schmidt worked at McDonald's and was a wrestler for NHS.

Erickson used the word resilient to describe Schmidt - a student who worked long hours at a job, studied and still found time for wrestling and weightlifting.

'He worked at McDonald's, he worked a ton of hours,' Erickson said. 'That's something we talked about. He felt like he had to work those hours. I don't know how he did it - it was like working a full-time job and going to school. Plus, he wrestled and was also an avid weightlifter, he was maybe 160 pounds when he graduated but it was a lot of lean muscle. He was a strong kid.'

Schmidt enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard on Jan. 27, 2007, during his senior year.

Enlisting in the military was a means to an end - a way to pay for college and become a firefighter.

'He kept me appraised of his enlistment all the way through the process,' Erickson said. 'Ronnie told me before, and after, his expectations and how it went. For a lot of kids, the financial incentives are pretty lucrative.'

Schmidt was a member of Battalion C, 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery of the Kansas National Guard. He died when the vehicle he was in overturned while on patrol in Iraq.

Trained as a cannon crewman after graduating from high school, Schmidt was promoted to Private First Class on Nov. 28 and then to specialist.

He is survived by his mother, Andrea M. Schmidt of Newton, and his uncle, Paul Schmidt of Goddard.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Specialist Ronald Andrew Schmidt,' said Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in a news release. 'He made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, and his loved ones and fellow soldiers need our prayers through this very difficult time.'

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Schmidt is the 10th Kansas Army Guardsman to have died since the war began.