Robert Berko:
CLASS OF 1974
Waukegan High SchoolClass of 1974
Waukegan, IL
San Diego City CollegeClass of 1979
San diego, CA
Robert's Story
Testimony Of An Outlaw Biker: By Robert Berko
My experiences in the motorcycle lifestyle came natural to me. I've always rode motorcycles, even as a kid. I grew up in the 60's and saw all of the Hells Angels movies at the drive-in theater. I wanted to be just like these guys and choose to emulate them. I can remember my faith in the Roman Catholic church had no lasting effect on me, because I didn't like the Latin being spoken. It was all strange and mysterious to me, and I didn't hold much stock in it. I had nothing Godly to draw on, so I dismissed God. I was a non-believer. An Athiest.
Growing up an orphan, I was an unruly street kid and soon got into a street gang. The gang was my sanctuary and we caused plenty of trouble with whoever crossed us. Our colors or back piece where the pentagram with the goat's head in the middle. The sign of a Satanist. We were referred to as the "Falling Angels." I was incarcerated most of my youth. I was in the Chicago Audy Home where I got my nickname "Chicago Bob." I was in and out of jail and the Lake County Youth Home, I.S.S.C.S., and two foster homes with abusive, drunken parents. We used to go scooping and hang out on Genesee Street and these clowns from Gurnee came to hang out on our bridge. It didn't take long to antagonize a street fight. Hector Sanchez pulled a switchblade on one of the Warren boys and I reached into the drivers side window and got their keys, knocking out the driver. I was a relentless street fighter. We were their worst nightmare.
Well, the cops were unto us again. I had recently just beat a kid bad at a Holy Child Girls School dance and was arrested. This made the local newspapers. I dropped out of Waukegan Township High School and joined the United States Marine Corps. Illinois was glad to sign me off as a Ward of the State. I had run out of options. Next Stop, St. Charles Boys Correctional Facility.
The U.S. Marines was the hardest thing that I had ever done. It was my rite of passage. I spent 13 weeks in Boot Camp and graduated from Parris Island, South Carolina. I came home for a month leave with orders to report to the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California where I attended Infantry Training School. This was a grueling course, very physical. Upon completion of ITR, I was sent home for another month leave with orders cut for South-east Asia. I attended Waukegan Township High School's Junior Prom with Teri Hutchinson and ended up out at Chevy Chase. I looked squared away in my uniform.
I joined up with the 3rd Marine Division, 2nd Battalion 4th Marines(Second To None), and we boarded the U.S.S. Okinawa LPH-3. This was a Marine helicopter transport ship. I was in a reinforced Weapons Platoon with H&S Company. Our Marines served in Operation Talon Vise (Embarkation), Operation Eagle Pull (The evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 11-13 April 1975), and Operation Frequent Wind (The evacuation of Saigon, The Republic of South Vietnam 29-31 April 1975). Two weeks later in May 1975, our Marines were informed from Intelligence S-1 that the S.S Mayaguez, a Merchant Marine container ship was boarded and sieged by Kymer Rouge pirates off of the coast of Cambodia. Her crew of merchant seamen were reportedly deposited on Koh Tang Island. An Eastern Landing Zone was established and we had a CH-53 Golly Green helicopter crash with loss of lives. Boarding the S.S. Mayaguez, we got our merchant ship back. The Merchant seamen were saved. On rotation, I returned to the States and my last duty station was the 2nd Marine Division Camp Lejuene, North Carolina where I studied and got my G.E.D.
After my discharge from the Corps, I moved to San Diego and went to college under the G.I. Bill. I took Electronics and Mechanical Drafting and minored in English Literature. During this time, I met members of the "Dago" Chapter of the Hells Angels at Neutral Grounds, a bar by my place on University Avenue. I began doing illegal drug business with them. I was friends with Dexter, Big Schultz, Little Schultz (Not Related), and Booger who later killed himself. I was a known associate and did most of my drug business on campus at College. After College, I went through a couple of no where jobs and began to drive truck. I moved my family to Fort Wayne, Indiana. After driving for North American Van Lines Electronics Exhibits, I transferred into the Intermodal Hauling Division. Intermodal was bought up by Triple Crown Services, a division of the Norfolk & Southern Railways. I was local now a...Expand for more
nd got home every night. I joined a new club that the Hells Angels were sponsoring in Goshen, Indiana. I fit right in with the South Bend Chapter of the Hells Angels. They had me checked out because I knew the "Dago" Chapter and I was a shoe in, after being confirmed by Lurch. I was a bonafide known associate. The procedure was necessary because the Hells Angels were having problems with snitches and Feds trying to infiltrate their Chapters. South Bend was a relatively new Angel Chapter because they used to be the Hells Henchmen and the Angels absorbed them up into their World Corporation. I was flattered when Lurch asked me to prospect for their club but I politely declined because I didn't want to be a 1%er. I aligned myself with the Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club, having more in common with these Brothers. The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club was the 5th largest club in America and had membership in all 50 states and became an eye sore to the F.B.I. Their logic being that we posed an imminent threat because we were all militarily trained to kill with extreme prejudice under only slight provocation. I moved up through the ranks pretty fast because of my importance with knowing the Hells Angels. I became a Sergeant Of Arms for Chapter 5 and an Enforcer. Drug use was the norm with the Vets and most of the members were involved in illegal drugs like meth-amphetamines. In my drug euphoria, my children grew up and went off on their own and I spent a lot of my time partying and sitting in with the hired bands for our parties, playing Blues harmonicas. Years went by.
One week end, the "Killer Bees"(Kentucky, Chapter B of the Vietnam Vets), were sponsoring a party and I showed up early to get the most out of the 3 day week-end. The wheels didn't even stop rolling before I was being offered lines of meth. I obliged happily. After being up for three days, I was just leaning on this fence and I could see the whole compound from my vantage point. It was night time and there where fires everywhere and people moving in and out of the smoke and haze. Women walked around shirtless all over the place and all of a sudden, I don't know why; I began looking at this whole display and began thinking to myself,"Boy, I had done it to myself this time." I was literally in the bowels of Hell on earth. I fear no man, but for the first time in my whole life, I was terrified. I was living in Hell! At that very instance, the Lord touched my heart and I got on my motorcycle and headed home. When I got home, I quit the club and began reading the Left Behind series by Jerry Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye. I realized this was a fictional account of Revelation but it touched my heart. I gave my heart to the Lord and cried out for forgiveness. I was a repentant sinner. That was the moment of my Salvation in Jesus. I was born again and received the Holy Spirit. Now I thirst for Biblical knowledge and have become a new person in Jesus. The hardest thing to break you would probably think was the years of drug abuse, but in actuality; I quit drinking, smoking, and partying without a problem. Cold Turkey! I felt clean inside, but I admit that I had the hardest time losing my Marine Corps, Biker sewer mouth. Profanity was my stumbling block and I had to pray a lot. Funny how God works in people and amazing too. God reins supreme! Amen.."For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. I no longer swear by the way and discourage this type of behavior. God has a plan for my new life now, and I finally found a home at Zion Bible Church on Emmaus Avenue. I'm retired now and live a wealthy life. I've sold a lot of my possessions because it was only stuff. It's better to store up your riches in Heaven, then here on earth. Allow God into your life and you will be amazed at the transformation that will take place. You want to live forever, don't you? In a place were there is no pain or sin. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and truly believe that God sent Jesus here to die and shed his precious blood for our sins, so that we may have eternal life. Believe that Jesus died for your sins, and rose again on the third day from the tomb. If you believe this with all of your heart, you will be saved and will receive the Holy Spirit. Amen. I am now a member of the CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association) and my area of ministry is with the Mechanical Team. I wrench on Harleys and build bikes from the ground up.
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