Hall of Fame

Induction Year 2018

Ron Zinn was a two-time United States Olympian who was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1939. Ron Zinn moved to Orland Park in 1953 when the town’s population was only 800. In his time at Sandburg, Ron was on the honor roll and excelled in sports where he earned eight varsity letters and was named Sandburg’s most valuable athlete in 1957.

After graduating from Sandburg, Ron briefly attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa before he was admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point. At West Point, he was the first cadet to represent the United States in the Olympics. Ron represented the United States in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics competing as a race walker. He placed 6th in the 1964 Olympic 20km walk which is one of the top American performances ever in that event.

After his Olympic career, Ron was deployed to Vietnam in 1965. As a new platoon leader, Ron devoted himself vigorously not only to learning the infantry skill necessary for combat but also to caring for his fellow soldiers. In Vietnam, Ron led a heroic rescue mission to save the life of his squad leader. On July 7, 1965, Ron sacrificed his life while trying to save the life of his patrolman. After Ron’s death, his company renamed their camp to Camp Zinn for the rest of the war due to his dedication and heroism. Ron was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and an expert marksmanship citation. He was posthumously promoted to Captain. Captain Ronald L. Zinn is buried at the West Point Cemetery in West Point, New York.

Ron truly showed us the meaning of dedication from his athletic and academic excellence at Carl Sandburg, to his commitment at the Olympics, and his heroism in Vietnam. As Ron once said, “There will always be things in life that we do not want to do, but we will do them if we are to succeed.”