Pastor Raul Ries Testimony - Cont.

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By the time I was a senior in high school, I had already been in and out of jail, but never once booked. We had a club called the Hession Car Club, and our advisor was a cop named Al.  Because of our relationship with him, they would let us go.  Then one night I was at a party in West Covina, and I saw a guy there with my girlfriend.  I left and got all of my friends.  We went back to the party and ripped people apart.  The guy almost died.  The next day, the police came to the high school, took me in and booked me.  Eventually, I had to go to court.  At the time I was eighteen and just about to graduate.  I was given a choice, either go to prison or go into the military.  Well, at that time, Vietnam was going on, I said, “I’ll just go to Vietnam. It’s a license to kill and I can do whatever I want.”

I went into the Marine Corps Boot Camp, and had twelve weeks of hard training.  Because I scored highly in physical fitness, 478 points out of 500, I received the rank of PFC, and I was made platoon leader.  I went from MCRD, to Camp Pendleton, and began to train for Vietnam as a 0311 Grunt.  I remember so clearly: 1966, on December the 8^th, I got my orders.  I remember my father and brother taking my best friend, Champ, and me down to San Diego and getting on a ship, the U.S.S. Gaffey, as I was going to Vietnam.

I remember leaving San Diego and starting the trip to Vietnam.  I was wondering if I would ever return, especially when I looked out and saw 5000 marines on the ship.  I wondered how many would not be returning.

It took about 15 days at sea but we finally arrived on the USS Gaffey navel ship into Da Nang, Vietnam.  I could not believe the humidity and the smell and all the green jungle.  We were separated and sent to our different units.  I was sent to Alpha Company 1/7 up into Chu Li, Phu-Bi and ended up on the outskirts of Da Nang.  We were participating in operations and patrols.