PLEASANT HILL — Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ronald P. Diehl, a Pleasant Hill native and Newton High School graduate, has been selected for induction into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame.
Shortly after his graduation from Newton High School in 1977, Diehl enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force where he served until 1987. He served as a member of the Indiana Army National Guard from 1989 to 1997 when he left to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Diehl transferred to the U.S. Army in 1999 and would serve until his retirement in 2021.
During his time in the Army, Diehl worked all over the world. He served in five foreign countries, a U.S. territory, and most of the 50 states.
Diehl is a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In Iraq, Diehl worked to train Iraqi soldiers on vehicle maintenance. He then transferred to the Green Zone where he was a contractor operations advisor to the Commanding General. In Afghanistan, Diehl was a Contracting Officer Representative – Tactical (COR-T).
In 2021, Chief Diehl retired as the Chief Command Warrant Officer for maintenance operations at the Office of the U.S. Army Chief Ordnance Reserve Operations at Fort Lee.
Over 41 years of military service, Diehl was presented with many prestigious awards including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and multiple Meritorious Service Ribbons these among others were given for the successful completion of missions and outstanding performance.
“When I was younger, I would say it was a little hard to understand why he was always gone and not able to attend all my sports games, events, etc. As I grew up and became an adult, I got to understand that he was sacrificing for his family, including my mother, siblings, and I. It’s hard to put into words knowing that he spent all the time away from us in order to take care of us and give us a good life,” said Joel Diehl, son of Chief Diehl.
He went on to say, “What I admire most about him, though, is the way he has accomplished everything throughout his career. He doesn’t care so much about the awards, ranks, or pomp he has received throughout his career. He cares about getting the job and goal done and not about being glorified for it. He always puts everyone else first instead of himself. If there was a picture representing the word humble in the dictionary, he should be it.”
To be selected as a member of the Hall of Fame, a soldier must be nominated and chosen for review by the selection board. Potential inductees are judged solely on their “significant contributions to the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps.” Created in 1969, the Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame has only 464 members. In May 2023, Chief Diehl will join their ranks after his long career.
