Ranger

Clement

Ross

I was born in Pittsburgh, PA, on September 14, 1961. My paternal grandparents were from Lithuania and Bohemia. Maternal grandparents came from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany. Some indications were that Native American blood was also part of our lineage—Grandpa showed us a photo of a woman with a corn cob pipe and said that’s proof.

Shortly thereafter, my parents moved to Mentor, Ohio, where my father converted the house into a dental practice. I was the oldest of four children.

I would have graduated high school in 1979, but I lacked American Government. I earned my GED in 1981 while serving in the Army.

I joined the U.S. Army in May 1980 and completed Basic Training and AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) at Fort Benning, Georgia. I also attended Airborne School there in September 1980. After thirty days of leave in Cleveland, I returned to Georgia for the 75th Rangers’ RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program). It could last three weeks or six months—you had to pass RIP before going to Battalion. I was there three weeks. When I arrived at Battalion, it was Russ, me, and some other guy. They lined us up against a wall, pointed at me, and said, “You’re going to be a 90 gunner.” I was the tallest of the three.

I was assigned to Alpha Company, Weapons Platoon, Anti-Tank Section. In July 1981 I went to Ranger School, followed by the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama in December 1981. In May 1982 I attended Pathfinder School, where I was the Enlisted Honor Graduate. In the fall of 1982, I re-enlisted to be reassigned to the Berlin Brigade. I arrived in West Berlin in June 1983 and joined the Scout Platoon. My expiration time of service (ETS) was November 18, 1986.

I attended Cleveland State University from fall quarter 1987 to winter quarter 1991 and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with concentrations in German Literature, Philosophy, and Social Work.

Most of the 1990s I worked for BP America as a Compensation Analyst and then as the Executive Compensation Administrator.

In 2003, I moved to Florida and became a community association manager for condos and HOAs (homeowner associations), a job I did for about 20 years. The VA later rated me at 90% disabled. I then worked for Walgreens as a customer service rep, where I’m now happy to be.

On March 24, 2010, I married Lynn Ann Frick—my best wife. Lynn and I live in Estero, Florida, on the west coast.

I have written two books: Always Asking More Questions—a poetry anthology published in 2016, and Seventh Son—a book about my life, published by 20 20 Literary in 2025.