Ron Lepak enlisted in the Navy after graduating from the University of Wisconsin and began OCS (Officer Candidate School). After completing OCS, he was commissioned as an Ensign. Ron entered the “Brown Water Navy”, and attended River Boat training up in the Pacific Northwest near Whidbey Island.
The River Patrol Force was established on in December 1965, and for the remaining years of the war, Navy patrol boats were a common sight on the waters of Vietnam. Their mission was broad and covered a number of contingencies. The infrastructure of Vietnam was devoid of superhighways and sophisticated rail systems, so waterways served as a primary means of transportation. Control of the waterways was crucial.
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