Ojai's Vietnam slain remembered
By Lenny Roberts

Former Ojai resident Paul Leon, a pastor and city council member in Ontario, Calif., recently attended a National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C., to listen to a presentation by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

But the most stirring moment of his trip, "and maybe my life," Leon said, "was visiting the Vietnam War Memorial.
"I could not keep the tears back," he said. "I knew both Ray Morris and Chad Charlesworth, and both still have family in Ojai. Chad was the Recreation Center leader at the Boyd Club when I was 11 and 12 years old. He led the games and played chess and checkers with me many times. Most of us kids knew him in those days, and I remember when he left us to go to war. It was a very sad day for all of us who looked up to him. None of us wanted our friend to leave, but he did."

Leon said that Morris was his best friend's older brother. "Mike Morris and I were inseparable," Leon recalled. "I remember the day Ray left for the Marines, and I remember the day Ray came to Ojai Elementary to lead the whole school in a little P.T. Mike had him invited through our teacher, Mrs. Rowden, and Ray showed up in his dress blues.

The principal asked him to lead the school in a few exercises and Ray reluctantly agreed. He got his blues a little dirty - a no-no for a Marine! Ray was not a happy camper when we saw him at home, and promised Mike and me that he would be back and not to worry. He didn't come back alive."

Leon was 12 years old the day he got the news that both of his friends had been killed. "Crying wasn't cool, so I hid and cried, both times," he said. "So there I was, 33 years later, crying again. I guess the emotion isn't gone yet.
"
© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

Back to the news