Ron Rayner is a retired firefighter who served twenty-two years active duty having held every rank with the Pontiac, Michigan Fire Department. He served as grant writer for the department when he was in the rank of Deputy Chief. Since 2003 he has served Pontiac as a fire chaplain. Previous to joining the fire service, Ron taught U.S. History at Waterford Kettering High School in Waterford, Michigan.
He has been involved in numerous charities since 1974, starting with donating blood at a WKHS blood drive for The American Red Cross. He has since donated over 16 gallons of blood to the Red Cross. He has run the blood bank and the Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy drive for the Pontiac Firefighters Local 376. He has been volunteer worker and speaker for the Baldwin Center (www.baldwincenter.org) in Pontiac since it opened in 1981. He was named Volunteer of the Year at Baldwin Center in 1997.
Ron served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967 to 1969. He spent 1968 in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor in combat and a Presidential Unit citation ribbon for serving as M-60 machine gunner at the siege of Khe Sanh.
He is presently being treated for Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder and depression by the Veterans Administration (view Your Mind, Your Body, Your Soul). His volunteer activities and being CEO for Eagle Prep are part of his therapy.
Ron was recently nominated and appointed Chaplain for the Khe Sanh Veterans.