Ronald David Lovelady was born February 4, 1947 in Cullman, Alabama. He was the son of Edgar L. and Vinell Z. Lovelady. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on August 22, 1966 and served in Vietnam.
Lovelady’s tour in Vietnam began November 19, 1967. The rifleman was attached to the 1st Marine Division, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, F Company. According to honorstates.org, “While moving to their assigned night ambush location near the hamlet of Ap Thuy Tu, a squad of marines were taken under small arms fire by an enemy force. Two marines died during the action, one of the men was Cpl. Lovelady who was killed as a result of a gunshot wound from the hostile rifle fire.” Lovelady was just 21 years old.
Cpl. Lovelady was awarded the Purple Heart and is now buried at Mount Zion Methodist Church Cemetery in Cullman. He is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. His name is inscribed on Panel 53e, Line 36. He is also honored on the Vietnam Memorial at Cullman’s Veterans Memorial Park.
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