Jeffry Randal Riek

West Point, 1968

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Joe Moore on September 8, 2005:

Jeff Riek was a close friend during 1968 and 1969, the two years before his death in Vietnam. Each of those years, he took 30-day Army leave to spend with his parents in Falls Church, VA outside Washington. Jeff liked to play the stock market, especially commodities, and he would sit most of those days in the stockbrokerage office watching the tapes. I was his stockbroker, just a few years older, and we became good friends both inside and outside the office. Some evenings I would bring him to my apartment swimming pool where there were a number of attractive young ladies. Watching him operate was awesome and hilarious. I could still tell some Jeff Riek stories. At Jeff's wake, two ladies showed up. Both terrific-looking. Both thought they were his "one and only" and that he was going to come back home to them. It made for an interesting situation. Jeff was a risk-taker who loved challenges. And, he flirted with every girl he ever came across. But mostly Jeff tried to be the perfect son, a glowing light in his family, and the perfect friend. And he was. Jeff Riek maneuvers. Jeff Riek humor. Jeff Riek generosity. To be around Jeff was to have an interesting life. Jeff was extremely popular with everybody around the brokerage office. There was a lot of hurt when he was killed. Even now, 35 years later, I occasionally see old friends and they mention Jeff Riek. Jeff was a remarkable human being. He lived only to age 22 but achieved so much. West Point, a Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal with "V" device (2nd and 3rd OLCs), an Air Medal, and a Soldier's Medal for rescuing a down chopper pilot from a river into which he had crashed. Jeff Riek was a fabulous person. He had heart, character, and spirit that will never be duplicated. For his friends, the memory of Jeff will never diminish.

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