13 Months

Bruce A. Bastien

Description

Discover what the Vietnam War was like through the eyes of a Marine Corps infantry grunt coming-of-age in 1968.
This is an intimate look at life in the bush during the Vietnam War in 1968. You will experience the daily struggles, battles, and funny things that happen to a USMC grunt living in the bush for 13 months.
You’ll see firsthand through the battles, what Marines ate and drank, where they slept and their existence that ranged from unmitigated terror to utter boredom, hot & dry to wet & cold, rested and ready to frazzled and wired.
You’ll watch as a kid grows philosophically and confident, able to handle stress and strain, learning about friendship, love, difficulty, danger, deprivation, and loss.
His friends are American kids from all different walks of life, backgrounds, races, and learning. The common element among them is their humanity, bravery, and willingness to risk their lives to help one another.
They all were simply just a bunch of American boys doing their job, taking their chances, hoping to go home to the real world from an unreal world.

Sujets

• Personal Memoirs
• L?ng Cô
• Biography
• Meade River
• Phu Bai International Airport
• Marine (military)
• Da Nang
• Vietnam
• Infantry
• Viêt Nam
• Autobiography
• War
• United States Marine Corps
• ?à N?ng
• 1968

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 23 juillet 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781663204578
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

13 MONTHS
 
In the Bush, In Vietnam, In 1968
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bruce A. Bastien

Thirteen Months My Vietnam War
 
Copyright © 2020 Bruce A. Bastien.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
 
 
iUniverse
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
844-349-9409
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6632-0456-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6632-0458-5 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6632-0457-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020911935
 
 
 
iUniverse rev. date: 06/02/2023
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
13 Months Reviews by Reader
Introduction
 
Chapter 1Hallucinations
Chapter 2Operation Allen Brook
Chapter 3Facing the Dragon
Chapter 4On Operation
Chapter 5Beginnings
Chapter 6Arrival
Chapter 7The 3/5 Battalion Area
Chapter 8Anderson Bridge
Chapter 9The Old French Fort
Chapter 10Mountain Operations
Chapter 11Lang Co
Chapter 12Phu Bai
Chapter 13Operation Mameluke Thrust
Chapter 14Operation Meade River
Chapter 15Going Home
Chapter 16Aftermath
 
Glossary
About the Author
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the following individuals who have helped make this memoir possible. Without their insight, expertise, reviews, and encouragement, I never would have completed this book.
Neil Brodin, friend and former army soldier
Ernie Burciaga, friend and former Vietnam army soldier
Dave Feehan, friend and author
Ron Heath, friend and former Vietnam marine, author contributor
Rick Maddy, friend and former Vietnam marine, author contributor
Ron McCarville, friend and former Vietnam marine, author contributor
Christy Sauro, friend and former Vietnam marine, author of The Twins Platoon
Fred Smith, friend and former Vietnam marine, picture contributor, Kilo Company commander
Editors at iUniverse, who were all more than helpful and encouraging
13 MONTHS REVIEWS BY READER
Bruce Bastien’s 13 Months in Vietnam overlapped my tour in 1968 when we served together in 3rd Battalion 5th Marines. This period marked the highest casualty rates of the war, and he lays out perfectly the incongruous mix of hard duty, boredom, humor, characters, comradery, fear, danger, and lethal fighting that marked our time there. Bruce was a fine Marine, but it’s clear he’s also an exceptional writer. - Frederick W. Smith, Chairman & CEO FedEx.
The book was fantastic. It bought back so many memories. I returned to Vietnam FOUR years ago and it’s exactly as the author thought it would be. It’s built up with paved roads, not at all like it was in 67 68. I did get a chance to visit An HOA on my return trip and I couldn’t recognize anything. In fact, I was standing on the airstrip and didn’t know it until a former marine helicopter pilot rode up on a motorcycle and told me I was standing on the airstrip. This was one of the best books I’ve read about Vietnam. Everything I read was a hundred percent accurate.
I just finished your book 13 MONTHS and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. I’ve read many books about Vietnam, both first person and more objective reportorial accounts, but I have to say I think yours is the best. You have a very naturalistic writing voice that gives the book a feeling of “you are there” realism. You did an excellent job of imparting the totality of what you did and what was done to you during that year. It was immersive and when I finished reading I felt I understood much better the complex/mixed feelings you had regarding the experience and whether the war was justified or not. Great job Bruce, you really nailed it, you’re a real writer and the book is first rate. Congratulations.
I just finished “Thirteen Months.” Excellent book. I cried and laughed (I mean really belly laughed) throughout the reading. My wife wants me to read it to her so I’ll probably read it again. I really appreciate your insight and the introspective manner in which you wrote it. Your presentation of the everyday, mundane things really brought back vivid memories from days long gone by. The incidents you used from the website are some of the most remarkably realistic combat accounts that I have ever read, particularly Rick Maddy’s.
This book took you to the jungles of Vietnam through the experiences of a young soldier. What made it very unique was the authors actual photos of the people and places he encountered while in Vietnam
Outstanding narrative of Bastien’s experience in Viet Nam. The finest book on this topic that I have read. Thank you for sharing and especially your final comments. God bless you and Semper Fi.
Straightforward, well written memoir from an ‘average’ grunt in the ground for his 13 month tour. Written with humility, humour and sharp observation interspersed with occasional memoirs from other vets - including probably one of the most visceral first-person accounts of someone who experienced being on the wrong end of a booby-trap and some excellent colour photos. Good account worth the read of anyone interested in Vietnam War autobiographies.
A very honest and revealing look at life in a USMC infantry unit. No BS just great telling of the long dangerous dirty and terrifying hours/days/weeks in the jungle. The author focuses on his experience and feelings and little on the NCOs or officers. No grand strategy here just one foot in front of the other. I can’t imagine how difficult it was just to survive this experience. Great pictures really add to the story. Sad to see the young men so full of life only to learn that some of them would meet their death shortly afterwards
I’ve read a lot of Vietnam war books written by the veterans about their experiences. This one seems different. This author is very intelligent and educated. His writing style must be what makes this one hard to put down. You really do feel as if you are right beside him as he winds his way through 13 months of incredible hardships in a war that seemed horrible then and even more so in hindsight. American young men trying to serve their country as their fathers had in WW2. Very sad. They all have my lasting respect and thanks.
The year of the Tet offensive - what a time to be a grunt in Vietnam. Bruce’s writing style and honest, first-person narrative makes this a great read.
I guess I waited for someone from the old unit to write the book. Semper Fi Bruce. In the chapter on Operation Allen Brook, I was the guy walking point for 2nd squad. John Harmon and myself were the two guys that found all of the buried NVA equipment.
By his own admission, “Basteen” was a young man without much direction in his life when he entered the Marines. But early on in his service he began to show a reflective side, struggling to fit his idealism with the utter randomness of death in Vietnam. He survived and then began a multi-disciplined pattern of giving back, of being useful . He was able to take his experience and wreak meaning from it.
Well written recollection of an 0311 of his 13 months in a truly stupid decision to waste the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men and allow 58,000 to be killed. I did my time as a Navy Doctor in a field hospital 4 miles south of the DMZ in Dong Ha and saw daily the devastating wounds and watched Marines die in spite of our best efforts. This author has seen and lived in a hell you will never comprehend unless you have been there to see them come back with the “thousand-yard stare”!!
I was in Thailand at the same time the author was in Vietnam. I also wrote a book about my year at Takhli RTAFB. This is a very well-written recollection of the author’s tour in Vietnam in 1967-68 as a Marine grunt. It’s not the typical blood & guts tome as so many are, but a very thoughtful memoir of a very tough 13 months. Though it relates to the heartbreaking loss of friends and comrades, it gives an honest look at the day-to-day boredom of life on patrol when there is no enemy contact. He describes the misery of sleeping under makeshift poncho tents in drenching rains, trying to stay awake during night watch shifts, snakes, mosquitos, and even monkeys throwing rocks at them. At the same time, he also describes the scenic beauty of the country from the mountains to the beaches. He recognizes that the Vietnam war was ill-advised and a useless waste of lives, both American and Vietnamese. The average Vietnamese farmers wanted nothing more than to live their lives in peace. As so many Vietnam vets did, he performed his duty skillfully and honorably as his country asked him to. He survived to live a very fruitful life and I salute him. Welcome home!
As several books that I have read on Vietnam, I was one that did not have to go and always wondered if I missed something. I know now after reading these books that I am one of the lucky ones that did not have to face the life and death as these gentlemen did which many of thei