Army Ranger Sergeant Lorenzo M. Ruiz, 27, of El Paso, Texas, served with B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He was killed in action on October 3, 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia (“Blackhawk Down”). SGT Ruiz was part of the ground reaction force attempting to reach the crash site of Black Hawk Super Six-One. He was manning a heavy weapon as the convoy encountered intense enemy fire and was mortally wounded. He received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor and Purple Heart.

SGT Ruiz graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1984. He subsequently entered the Army and earned his way into the elite 75th Ranger Regiment. At the time of his death, his unit was based at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Ruiz's fellow Rangers have continued to honor him alongside the other members of B Company lost in Mogadishu. The 75th Ranger Regiment Association memorialized "Lorenzo Ruiz, B/3/75 Ranger Regiment" among the Rangers who gave their lives in Somalia, asking that they receive the eternal rest of those who served their country honorably and well.

SGT Ruiz was survived by his daughter and mother.