Sgt. Ronnie Shertel is home for the holidays after missing three Christmases and two Thanksgivings while serving in the Marine Corps.
By: Donna Lukiw
Nobody can ask for a better gift than having a loved one return home in time for the holidays after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pierceys and Shertels are grateful to have their son and brother, Ronnie Shertel, home for Thanksgiving this year after missing three Christmases and two Thanksgivings while serving in the Marine Corps.
"I prayed so much, many times a day for his safe return and everyone on his company," Xiomara Piercey, Sgt. Shertel’s mother, said. "I love reading the letters he sent me from these places because he always wrote things that made me laugh. I showed the letter to everybody and anybody that wanted to read them."
Sgt. Shertel, 22, of Bateman Way entered the Marine Corps after he graduated Hillsborough High School in 2001.
Two years later, he was deployed for combat operations in Afghanistan and spent seven months, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, fighting, patrolling the villages and cities and looking for enemy weapons and their caches of supplies.
"Since (he was) very little, he wanted to be in the military and liked to wear fatigue clothes," Ms. Piercey said.
When Sgt. Shertel returned to the United States in May 2004, he was sent to Iraq in March 2005 and returned only a few weeks ago in October.
"It feels great to be home," Sgt. Shertel said. "The transition from Iraq to America was fine."
While in Afghanistan, Sgt. Shertel set up observation posts on top of mountains and tried to prevent the smuggling of weapons from the Pakistan border.
While in Iraq, Sgt. Shertel was chosen to be a squad leader of 11 men in his 2nd Platoon, 3rd Squad and led men through house searches, observational posts and patrols.
Sgt. Shertel has completed his four years in the military and hopes to become a deputy sheriff or a township police officer and eventually be a part of the state police.
He was welcomed home by his two sisters, Tracy Piercey, 16, and Melissa, 15; his father, Michael Shertel of Roselle Park; his mother, Ms. Piercey; and his stepfather, Donald Piercey.
"He has a great sense of humor and personality," Ms. Piercey said. "I hope the war has not changed that on him. He is my shining star."
Sgt. Shertel belonged to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment out of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He was in the Infantry in the Marine Corps of the ground combat element.
"We are the guns and the feet on the ground," he said.

