son's sexual preferences. Bonin joined the United States Air Force with his mother's persuasion, who hoped it would cure his inclination toward chaos. He served as a cook for four months in Alaska. Bonin was then arrested for theft on October 25, 1967. As his departure was imminent, however, Bonin's case was dropped. Stationed in Phu Loi Base Camp, he served five months of active duty in the 205th Assault Support Helicopter Unit during the Vietnam War as an aerial gunner, logging over 700 hours of combat and patrol time. Bonin was to later claim that his experiences in Vietnam instilled a belief within him that human life is overvalued and that humans generally overestimate their value in society, emphasizing feelings of power and independence while in the service. Despite this, he is known to have risked his own life on one occasion while under enemy fire to save the life of a wounded fellow airman. For this act, Bonin received a medal in recognition of his gallantry, among other medals. According to Bonin, he engaged in allegedly consensual relations with four young girls and had a "number of homosexual encounters" in Vietnam, as well as a 25-year-old female prostitute in Hong Kong, although he also confessed to sexually assaulting two soldiers under his command at gunpoint during the period of the Tet Offensive. Bonin served nearly two years in the Air Force before receiving an honorable discharge on October 25, 1968, at age 21. Upon returning home, Bonin discovered that his fiancée – who by this stage had given birth to their son – had left him to marry another man. During Bonin's engagement, he repeatedly informed his fiancée he suffered from recurring nightmares in which he would sexually assault a faceless young woman in a deserted place before discarding her corpse in a shallow grave. According to Bonin's fiancée, he frequently woke up in tears and physically trembling from this nightmare. As a result of these concerning behaviors, the relationship was short-lived. He would later summarize his relationship with this young woman as a "big mistake" and a personal failure of his, primarily fueled by his mother's pressuring of him. Working as a gas station attendant, Bonin – feeling betrayed and frustrated – returned to Downey to live with his parents, whom he resented for frequently requesting his help. Several family members noted a marked difference in his