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Man works to ensure dad he never knew is honored
After a lifelong search for information, Caroline County man finds out about the father--and war hero--he never knew
Date published: 5/11/2009
BY CATHY DYSON For most of his life, all Ron Moran knew about his father was that he was a chief petty officer in the Navy during World War II. Moran didn't get to play catch with his dad or listen to his war stories. He never met the man whose blood runs through his veins--or even saw a photo of him. His mother, who raised Moran alone, always told him his father died before he was born. "I always got the same answer," said Moran, who lives in Ladysmith in Caroline County. When his mother passed away in 2003, Moran made a discovery that changed his life. As his wife, Roben, searched for clothes to bury his mother in, she came across photos of his parents' wedding day, along with a wallet full of military identification. The cards contained the all-important service number of Moran's father--the ticket Moran needed to find out more about the man he never knew. "I started crying, I just lost it," Moran said. After he got through the emotional weeks of settling his mother's estate, Moran began his quest to learn about his father. His mission lasted almost five years and ended last month with an impressive medal ceremony. "I just did my part to see my dad was recognized the way he should be," Moran said. "I would hope that any son would do that for his dad." 'MY DAD IS A HERO' Moran is no stranger to the military world. The soft-spoken man, who has a goatee and punctuates his conversation with "Ma'am" and "Sir," has worked for defense-related agencies for 28 years. He's currently an information technology specialist with the Defense Logistics Agency at Fort Belvoir. The information he gathered about his dad was more than he could have imagined. "I started looking at his service record, and I was like, 'Wow, my dad is a hero,'" said Moran, who turns 51 this month. He got his father's records by writing to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. He requested a DD214, which lists date of enlistment, military campaigns and medals won. Moran learned that his father, Raymond T. Moran, joined the Navy in 1935 and was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked or shortly thereafter.
Read more stories about Caroline Date published: 5/11/2009
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