Ronald Scott Owens was born on 31 October 1975. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 2 November 1998.

After completing Basic Training in Great Lakes, Illinois, on 8 January 1999, Owens was a student at the Center for Naval Intelligence in San Diego, California, completing training on 11 January 2000. He reported to USS Cole (DDG-67) on 23 January 2000.

Owens was killed in the line of duty when a terrorist bomb was detonated along the port side of the ship while it was refueling in Aden, Yemen, on 12 October 2000.

Petty Officer Owens was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, and the rank of Electronic Warfare Technician Second Class.

Sources: USS Cole (DDG-67) Med Cruise 2000 (August 8–November 3, 2000) Cruise Book in the collection of the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Navy Department Library. Awards and citations are sourced from the service member’s official military personnel file and listed in the Navy Department Awards Web Service site and may not be complete.

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/modern-ships/uss-cole/cole-in-memoriam.html#owens

RONALD S OWENS

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