Remembering Ronald Hemenway

On Sept. 11, 2001, Ronald Hemenway, a 1982 graduate of Wasilla High School, was one of 125 people who were killed inside of the Pentagon when hijackers flew American Airlines flight 77 into the building on that historically tragic day.

In 2011, the Battlefield Cross Memorial was dedicated in Hemenway’s memory. The memorial stands near the entrance at Wasilla High, Hemenway’s alma mater.

After joining the Navy, Hemmenway attended electronics school and graduated after 11 months as a Distinguished Military Graduate. Hemenway chose an assignment with the U.S.S. LaSalle and was stationed at Gaeta, Italy.

Hemenway’s military career started later in life. He joined the United States Navy at age 30. But Hemenway found his calling and success as an electronics technician and earned a position in the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.