Oral History Interview: Robert Ritter

Robert Ritter grew up in Monticello, Illinois and served in the Navy from 1967-1969 and off the shores of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

In the Navy, Ritter maintained the gunfire control equipment that was used as support for the forces on shore.  

While he couldn’t see what he was shooting, he helped sink enemy ships, destroy enemy bunkers and “take-out” an island.  

He says the war helped him and his wife develop a closer relationship because they wrote letters to each other every day. He says the war also taught him to appreciate life and everything America offers. He says every man should consider serving because it gave him great training as an individual.