His father, Martin Rønne (1861–1932), was a polar explorer who served in Roald Amundsen's successful expedition to the South Pole.

From 1946 to 1948 his team mapped and explored the Weddell Sea coastline and set a number of polar records.

His wife Edith Ronne accompanied him on this expedition, serving as "historian and correspondent for the North American Newspaper Alliance".

[2] In the 1950s, the Navy organized Operation Deepfreeze to complete the mapping of Antarctica and establish centers for scientific research.

He received three medals and numerous military awards for service, for geographical exploration and for the advancement of science.