Bill, I’m enjoying reading your book.It pulls no punches and you let your inner feelings be known! Thanks for your service. I’m proud to have you as a friend
Dan Truxell – Lorain Ohio
A Bunker Mentality is a well told story. Simply written and engaging from start to finish. This book provides an opportunity for anyone who hasn’t directly experienced being a soldier in active combat to understand the experience of being in battle, and more importantly the impact of that experience on returning home again. The more we civilians know and understand the physical and emotional cost of war, the better we can make decisions on engaging in war, supporting our soldiers and veterans, and understanding the impact on the minds and cultures of our enemies. Thank you, Bill for writing this book – while the primary audience was your son, we all can benefit for your willingness to share.
Bill, I just received your book and finished it in a couple of days, I couldn’t put it down. I even neglected doing some things that had to be done in order to see how it ended. I am blown away by your candor, description of events including battle, even sarcasm and humor in the face of the most horrific thing any human being could go through. So many of the feelings you guys were experiencing and the questions you asked each other and yourselves were described so well…. God? The futility of war? I felt like I was there listening to the conversations. I also found myself chronologically trying to figure out where I was, what I was doing and what was going on stateside at the time some of your experiences took place. It was an emotional roller coaster ride and I would recommend that at least every baby boomer that didn’t experience Viet Nam first hand should read it and thank God every day of their life for guys like you, Pete and Tom. I’m in awe!
Bill, I started reading your book the day I got it and couldn’t put it down. It was an eye opening book and a very riveting experience. I was in the Navy but not during wartime. Your book, I think, will be a tremendous help to the military vets, both young and old, who are in need of help from their experiences of being in a wartime situation. I’m glad you made it home.
Not only does this book portray the amazingly instinctive bravery of Bill Wenger, it demonstrates the enormous courage it took for him to share his personal experiences during the Viet Nam war and throughout his life over the next forty years. He talks about his personal torment and the effect that PTSD had on his life – he makes no excuses for himself, but instead, seeks a way to understand and to heal his physical and emotional wounds. Having experienced so much pain, he finally recognizes that no man is an island (not even a Marine), and learns that strength lies in facing the demons, and wrestling with them to reclaim his own power. His account will give hope and support to so many others who struggle with the harshness of war, life, and death.
I spent the 4th of July reading “A Bunker Mentality.” So many things ring true for me with my own life and those I’ve loved. I can imagine the catharthsis in finally being able to get these things out. Even more, the benefit it will bring to others.
I’ve seen the effects of holding in trauma and the effects of PTSD. I thought I understood it, but Bill has opened my eyes to so much more. I know this book will be of great help to those who’ve been through trauma and those of us who love them.
Bill, A Bunker Mentality was easy to read, but hard to put down. It is a great story that gives me a better insight into what it was like in Vietnam and what the troops went through on the front lines. And it gives a better view of you. I could almost see you talking in a lot of the dialogue. Your story ran through the emotions for me…..laughter and becoming wet eyed in some spots I do hope it helps you to overcome PTSD. I am very glad that they are now recognizing that it is a battle wound, just like a bullet–and probably a lot worse. And I think your book will help people understand the problems a vet faces when he has seen combat. And I do hope that we will quit thinking that war is the solution to our problems. Maybe it should be required reading for each class of congressmen before they go sending young men into battle all over the world.
Bill, you told a great story. You certainly went through a lot and did a great job putting the memories in writing. A Bunker Mentality was hard to put down; I read it in two days and was sorry that your story had to end, yet relieved for you that it did. It was so easy to get very involved in the book and as a reader, I felt like I was there and part of the action. My husband is now reading it and is having a hard time putting it down as well. I have read many, many books on Vietnam and recollections of combat stories from the war, but yours was particularly special because I knew you and several of the people mentioned in your book. Even without that connection, this would be an interesting read for anyone. I give you a lot of credit for putting getting your life together and not being bitter about any of the events that took place throughout your life. I’m proud to say I knew you when…just had no idea you had been through so much. You should be very proud to say that you are a Marine, Vietnam Vet, and a survivor not only of the war, but of PTSD. Thanks for telling your story.
I don’t know if I can put into words the deep emotions I experienced while reading your book Bill! Knowing you from about the 7th grade and until we both switched high schools and then went off to different branches of the military, I am ashamed that we didn’t reconnect until recently. Paul, Danny and Kathy had comments that were spot on (above) – they, like me, could hear your voice and see your young face as we knew it then as you walked us through what you did for us. I still had Pete’s obituary in my AKHS year book, but it is now where it belongs – tucked between pages 106 and 107 in your book. These brave and precious memoirs need to be a standard issue to all GI’s departing active duty, as there is no doubt regarding the lives it will save and the families it could reunite. This plain-talking, honest, and self-revealing autobiography is not only for our returning heros, but for all Americans who value our uniqueness in a world that seemingly cannot understand our liberty, freedoms and all that we stand for. These same fellow Americans must see our returning veterans through your eyes Bill! It might even motivate an effective exit program for combat vets that require periodic evaluations. There just seems so much that can be done that is overlooked. “Surviving War and Living with PTSD” need not be suffered alone in a vet’s personal “bunker”. Thanks for returning to us pal. We’ve missed you.
I just finished your book, and I feel that it will be sitting with me for a long time. I feel it is incredibly courageous of you to share these details about your life. I find it humbling and deeply touching. I think it is essence of humanity to be able to make these connections: I did not have your experience, I was a ten year old kid during that time; but I can feel for you and try to understand what you were and are going through. I am a very committed pacifist, but I also respect the men and women who choose to serve our country. I’d like to believe that we can honor them and live up to our commitments to care for them, despite our religious and political views. I honestly hope for the day when war is an antiquated idea and is no more. In the meantime, I can learn a lot about how humans suffer, change and grow as a result of the experience of war. I feel badly that I never knew these things about you when I worked with you. In the end, I knew you would be okay, because you never lost your compassion. You showed compassion when you described your love for your fellow soldiers and when you gave food to villagers. Thank you for your story.
Bill … I have known you well for nearly 20 years, and I know that our friendship is strong enough that you have shared minor snapshots of your history before … but I was not prepared for reading the entire book from end-to-end … all of our citizens are eternally thankful for the contributions that all of you made so that we may be free. Personally, I felt like I was riding in the train with you to Paris Island, beside you when you carried the mail from the helicopter at Khe Sanh and beside you in too many foxholes … but I wasn’t … it was you!!
All of our lives have been enriched by knowing you … thank you for capturing this for Sean, for your friends and for yourself …
All I can say is Wow! I stayed up all night reading “A Bunker Mentality”. I could not put it down. I am still going over it’s content in my mind. There is so much to absorb and I had to pace myself not to rush through it. I know I will read it again. Thanks Bill, your bravery extends well beyond those dark years you served our country. You are truly a hero in my eyes.
What makes A Bunker Mentality more than a simple we-did-this-then-we-did-that Vietnam memoir is what subtly lies below the surface events. Like how most of a bunker is below ground, Bill’s book deftly shows us the two transformations in his life. First, from a savvy, sensitive Ohio high schooler to a smart but self-insulating soldier and subsequently adult with PTSD. Second, from the isolated, closed-off husband, father and businessman to the open, accepting, wiser man who realizes and understands his life and has the courage to say to himself, “No, you bastard, no.” Bill made two ultimate choices in his life: First, to join the Marines with a certainty of going to Vietnam. Second, to choose to stop 40 years of cutting himself off from his humanity and to embrace the joys — and pains — of living. Bill’s journey is in a sense circular and that completeness fulfills.
Working with Bill on the book, I learned that beyond the pain to the individual afflicted with post traumatic stress disorder is the greater suffering of those around the soldier — spouse, children, family. Like rings from a pebble tossed into a pond, PTSD invisibly, silently torments the people closest to the soldier, causing grievous physical and, worse, mental suffering. The lesson of Bill’s recovery from PTSD and his call to today’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to seek help is perhaps more than his sacrifice in Vietnam his greater service to his country and his fellow soldiers.
Bill, your journey of pain and suffering has not been in vain: It has given us the fruits of what you have transformed into a personal and professional triumph, allowing us to bear witness to your continuing revelation. I was deeply affected by every aspect of the book in ways that I am still trying to understand. I am changed because of it, if only because I now have a clear view of what was going on in our lives in parallel at that time — yours from the front lines of hell, and mine as a befuddled, detached junior high school kid here in the safety of America, numbed by the evening news of casualties and horror. But, even more poignantly, I am changed because of the power demonstrated in your courage to heal. Thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and your gifts. I’ve always known you are very special. God bless you.
In “Bunker Mentality” we get a personal glimpse of the uncommon courage and bravado of young men facing the perils of war. Too often the memories of their exploits return as hellish nightmares and overwhelming anxiety. Bill Wenger reminds us that the cost of war isn’t neatly tabulated in dollars or body count. The true costs are incalculable: But forty years to get help – talk about denial!
I concur with Jerry 100% about this being a travisty! Our Veterans are treated like second class citizens at times when they should be on top of the list! Veterans being homeless should never be a factor in this country, the greatest country ever! Just like the “War” itself, politics play a major part and should never enter into the equation! And then they have the audacity to call this event on our history “The Vietnam Conflict”!
Bill, what a great book about your life. I’m not a reader, but i read your book in two nites.
i remember when you and Pete joined the Marines. I went to Viet Nam Vets in Amherst tonight and
looked at those 98 names and was so glad that yours was not there too! Great job!
Bill,
I finished reading your riveting work in only three days.It brought out a host
of emotions in me,namely fear,anger,depression,disappointment,
loneliness,sorrow, and even humor, (the truck driving segment really
knocked my socks off)!
I think back to all the petty stuff that I complained about while
serving in the Navy and compare it to what you endured and it all
seems so minuscule. I can however relate to your attempt to become a
M.P. All branches of the military have a way for stifling, even the
very best laid plans!
Pete was a great loss to anyone that had the privilege to have met
him.As you alluded in your work, he was very bright could have easily
chosen a different path. But the two of you decided to defend your
country against Communism.For that your friends and country are very
grateful.
The Good Lord has placed many fine people in my path over the years.
Bill you are certainly in the top percentile.I have had the distinct
pleasure of reconnecting with you and three other childhood friends
this past year.There must be a very good reason for that.
I’m glad that you sought out the help that you needed and were able to
conquer most of the inner demons.I do hope that the returning vets
from the Middle East will have the opportunity to read your work.
Semper Fi Bill (Willie)
I just finished A Bunker Mentality. If you are a veteran or know someone who is, this book will definitely help to shed light on the struggles of PTSD and how to overcome the vestiges. My dad is a Vietnam Veteran and I found this book to be very enlightening. Wow! I will never be in combat, but reading this book made me feel like I had been there
A Bunker Mentality is a stripped bare honest memoir of one Viet Nam Veteran’s war time experience. I hope that many returning Vets are helped by the courage that it took for Bill Wenger to write it. I would recommend this book to everyone who has been a participant in a war zone or who knows someone who has been. The experience,insight, strength and hope shared by Bill Wenger, hopefully, will help Veterans recognize and accept their own experiences, and seek treatment for PSTD, and, most importantly, this book will help those who know and love them in understanding the causes of PSTD and the resulting behaviors.
Posted by Dan Breen on July 26, 2010 at 1:23 am
I’m a childhood friend that spent some time with Bill when he got back from Nam. I particularly loved the book because it was both an accounting of the war experience and a very believable story of the person I knew and admired. I can validate that the “real life” William Wenger was exactly the type of person that would have reacted to the described events in exactly the way the book describes. Bill was always courageous and loyal with his friends and family. If I had ever had to be in such harms way, Bill is the guy I would have wanted at my back. I can also bare witness to the extreme level of anxiety that Bill came home with and I’ve went through my adult life wondering how it all turned out for him. It was a very emotional experience for me to read this book. People of all walks of life may find their own demons somewhere in his experience. I know I did. If I were still teaching history, ” A Bunker Mentality” would be on the must read list.
Reply
I had not sent you a note as I was lost for words. Your hell and the story thereof was and is very moving.
Your book was fantastic and very emotional. I do hope the V.A. bought a few thousand copies so they can share it with the guys coming home. I had to put the book down a few times when you were describing the hell in Vietnam. What an experience you went through….. I appreciate how 9/11 brought the pain back to the forefront for you…. I remember the moving memos you sent out to the team immediately following that disaster. The important thing….is… you are starring down those emotions and moving forward. I remember you telling me about signing up for the extensions….this brings those stories all into perspective.
What a gift that you did by capturing all of this for your son. This will be carried forward to your grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Willie,
Great book ! Hey Marines, I was a Marine ,my brother Tim and my three sons were Marines. My oldest is still in with over 20 years. We think that this book should be in the PX. Marines are always looking for some good reading.
Willie, if you are still working in Atlanta , call me and we can have some good chow.
Hi Bill,
Im hoping to surprise my mother in law (Petes mother) with a signed copy of your book.
She has no idea about your book. Will you really be in Vermilion in Oct?
We will be there. Cant wait to read your book
Susan Shagovac
Wow, what a read. Scary sh*t. The last line is SO powerful. If you haven’t read it, please don’t jump ahead. If you have read it, please go back to it.
Thanks for your service Bill, and to all who served with you.
I just read your book and finished it recentley, it was very very interesting, you could see how hard it was in Vietnam, and then you would come home and it would be like you were in a different world. The book was funny and sarcastic but it also explained your hardship and struggle.
This is not an easy book to read. It reads quickly, you don’t want to stop but it is often hard to continue. The subject matter is often very grim. But it is an absorbing, interesting flashback to a time for some of us when the World was anyplace that we weren’t.
When I came home from Viet Nam (I was Air Force at a radar site off the coast, much much closer to the island of McHale’s Navy than Bill’s hilltop island of Khe Sanh) I started collecting and reading books on the war — history, first person accounts, novels. Looking at my bookshelves, there are next to no first-person accounts of actual combat and its costs to those who experienced it. This makes Bill’s book a valuable addition to the history of the war and places it next to two other great books on the war — Phillip Caputo’s A Rumor of War (another Marine first person) and the novel the 13th Valley by John M Del Vecchio.
The books reveals a Bill Wenger I never realized existed during the years we worked together. The Bill I knew was the truck driver who dumped his commander out the back with a jack-rabbit start. The trauma inside never showed but had to have hurt.
I hope others read this book and get help to overcome their demons.
This book is so well written and brings back memories of life back then. I thought the guys who came home were the lucky ones, but now I see that may or may not be true to them. You were functioning very well in your dysfunction, my friend. I never would have guessed that you went through hell on earth, but I do know you did your part so that my brother didn’t have to be there, and being a woman, for me as well. I thank you and respect you more than ever. I hope you write other books on other subjects; you’re truly gifted.
I worked with Bill Wenger in the ‘90’s. We were in sales management. He was by far our best team leader. He was a supportive colleague. I admired him. I knew that Bill had a son whom he adored, that Bill had been a Marine in Viet Nam, and that his hobby was growing roses. I was quite surprised when I learned that Bill had written a book about his time in Viet Nam. It was well known that he wouldn’t talk about that time in his life.
I promised Bill I would write a review of his book. Little did I know how much of an emotional impact his book would have on me or how hard it would be to limit my comments to a few short sentences. Forgive me, Bill, once again being wordy.
A Bunker Mentality is a touching story of a young Midwesterner’s journey into and through adulthood under the curtain of war. For history buffs or for those looking for a good human interest story, A Bunker Mentality will be a good read. It is a story about the spunk that comes from naivety and about courage, tenacity, pain, and hope. You will find yourself drawn to Bill – warmed by his friendship, humor, and courage, and saddened by the tremendous pain he shouldered. Adding to the poignancy is the realization that hundreds of thousands of veterans have lived Bill’s story and so few have reached the level of healing that he has. It compels you to reflect on your own perception of the Viet Nam War (or any war) and your contribution to the environment awaiting every “Bill’s” return. In its own way, A Bunker Mentality is a call to action. For veterans it is a call to seek help. For the rest of us, it’s a call to ask whether enough is being done to help these heroes.
My copy of A Bunker Mentality arrived while my father, a Korean War veteran, was visiting us. He was curious about the book because he knew I had worked with Bill. I was sitting across from my Dad when he started to read the book. It wasn’t long before he was nodding his head and saying, “That’s exactly the way it was.” About half way through the book, he no longer made comments out loud and was reading with great focus. When he finished, he quietly put the book on the coffee table and said, “That was a well written book.”
Like his brother, Rudy, who had lost a leg in North Africa during World War II and my mother’s brothers who were in the South Pacific during World War II, Dad never talked about what he experienced during his time in the Army. Quite frankly, the only thing I recall him ever saying was that he couldn’t stand the sight of chicken for many years because he had eaten too much undercooked chicken while he was in the Army. Dad never was in a combat situation, but his brother and my uncles were, and the kid who grew up across the street from me had been in Viet Nam. I always wondered why none of them ever talked about their experiences. Now I know. My Aunt Margaret (Rudy’s widow) once showed me the letters she had received from Rudy during the war. They were full of friendly conversation and inquiries about the family back home. She then showed me a letter one of Rudy’s commanding officers had written her. It, she said, was the only real glimpse she had into what Rudy had gone through.
We had friends visiting shortly after I finished reading the book. It should come as no surprise that a lively conversation was triggered by what I had read.
Why am I sharing all this? Because A Bunker Mentality has a way of making you reflect. A Bunker Mentality has a way of making you want to talk to others about what you’ve read. A Bunker Mentality has a way of making you want to re-embrace the “Bill”s in your life.
I have a marine that went a-wol cause he couldn’t take it anymore. I WILL see you in vermilion soon, please have a few seconds to talk to me….. He has gotton awards for what hw has done, but he is suffering inside really bad he overturned my chairs and barricaded himself in front of the fireplace about 3 years ago I have pics… Now he is married and is in the brig for 125 days… I am afraid what his intentions are once he get out????? He also got me a dui cause he threw me in the seat when he was driving and hid in somones driveway. I have PTSD because of all of this, how can you help me???? I have seen dead Iraq people and he says this is me and this is what I do… My name is Karen and you can feel free to call me up in the audiance I will proudly tell my side as a grieving parent amd almost grandparent. These guys need help and who out there is going to help them????????????????
Posted by Dennis Devine on December 17, 2010 at 6:30 pm
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Bill, I would like to thank you for writing this book, It was given to me by my sister in law, Felicia Jovais and I could really relate to it having grown up in a blue collar family in Phila. and having a father and many uncles who fought in WWII, Also numerous friends and classmates who served in Nam, My High School, Father Judge in Phila lost 27 one of the Highest in the Country. I served in RVN with the 101St Airbourne Div. In the Khe Sanh, Quang Tri area so I picture everything you spoke of, I also waited years before going to the VA, you know the macho thing, but I went in 2004 and they are a big help. So I hope other Vets read your book and they will realize that being in a war, your life is changed forever and there probaly won’t be a day that you won’t think about it. Thank you again, Dennis Devine
This is a fascinating read! Did those of us Americans who lived through the period of the Vietnam War really understand the horrors of that conflict unless we heard it first hand? I for one knew only what was spoon-fed to us via the media, and those news reports were filtered, watered down and severely abbreviated. Bill’s account of his experiences are honestly and richly told. He presents not only a vivid visual depiction of his time in the worst conditions of war, but allows us into his head. He shares not only his thoughts as he survives day to day, but his feelings as well. The poignancy of the emotional committment of this young Marine to his country and comrades comes through full force. It is this depth of feeling combined with the inevitable scarring of his battlefield experience which combine to conjur up those “demons” which will plague him for many years. PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder: if you don’t know a thing about it when you begin this book, you will understand it by the time you finish it. Bill’s struggle with PTSD is candidly told. Thank you, Bill, for your honesty. This book provides much insight into the roots of a disorder which is not well known or understood by the average individual, and provides information and resources which can help other soldiers, veterans and their families. I highly recommend it!
A very moving story of one Marine’s experience in Vietnam, and how PTSD affected him much of his life. The author’s graphic descriptions of combat, his recollections of conversations with his buddies, and the sharing of his inner feelings throughout gave me the feeling that I was right there with him. This is a very good read that provides many insights into combat and the resulting PTSD. I commend Bill Wenger for bravely sharing his experiences with PTSD so all of us can better understand it and be able to help those who suffer from it.
Posted by Dan Truxell on June 30, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Bill, I’m enjoying reading your book.It pulls no punches and you let your inner feelings be known! Thanks for your service. I’m proud to have you as a friend
Dan Truxell – Lorain Ohio
Posted by Dave White on July 2, 2010 at 2:18 pm
A Bunker Mentality is a well told story. Simply written and engaging from start to finish. This book provides an opportunity for anyone who hasn’t directly experienced being a soldier in active combat to understand the experience of being in battle, and more importantly the impact of that experience on returning home again. The more we civilians know and understand the physical and emotional cost of war, the better we can make decisions on engaging in war, supporting our soldiers and veterans, and understanding the impact on the minds and cultures of our enemies. Thank you, Bill for writing this book – while the primary audience was your son, we all can benefit for your willingness to share.
Posted by Paul Christensen on July 2, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Bill, I just received your book and finished it in a couple of days, I couldn’t put it down. I even neglected doing some things that had to be done in order to see how it ended. I am blown away by your candor, description of events including battle, even sarcasm and humor in the face of the most horrific thing any human being could go through. So many of the feelings you guys were experiencing and the questions you asked each other and yourselves were described so well…. God? The futility of war? I felt like I was there listening to the conversations. I also found myself chronologically trying to figure out where I was, what I was doing and what was going on stateside at the time some of your experiences took place. It was an emotional roller coaster ride and I would recommend that at least every baby boomer that didn’t experience Viet Nam first hand should read it and thank God every day of their life for guys like you, Pete and Tom. I’m in awe!
Posted by Craig Fleming on July 2, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Bill, I started reading your book the day I got it and couldn’t put it down. It was an eye opening book and a very riveting experience. I was in the Navy but not during wartime. Your book, I think, will be a tremendous help to the military vets, both young and old, who are in need of help from their experiences of being in a wartime situation. I’m glad you made it home.
Posted by Kathy (Van Sickel) Chaney on July 5, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Not only does this book portray the amazingly instinctive bravery of Bill Wenger, it demonstrates the enormous courage it took for him to share his personal experiences during the Viet Nam war and throughout his life over the next forty years. He talks about his personal torment and the effect that PTSD had on his life – he makes no excuses for himself, but instead, seeks a way to understand and to heal his physical and emotional wounds. Having experienced so much pain, he finally recognizes that no man is an island (not even a Marine), and learns that strength lies in facing the demons, and wrestling with them to reclaim his own power. His account will give hope and support to so many others who struggle with the harshness of war, life, and death.
Posted by Gary Yingling on July 7, 2010 at 2:28 am
Kathy – Your post is amazingly accurate. I hope life has treated you well. i remember you well. Gary
Posted by Suzanne Gribble on July 5, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I spent the 4th of July reading “A Bunker Mentality.” So many things ring true for me with my own life and those I’ve loved. I can imagine the catharthsis in finally being able to get these things out. Even more, the benefit it will bring to others.
I’ve seen the effects of holding in trauma and the effects of PTSD. I thought I understood it, but Bill has opened my eyes to so much more. I know this book will be of great help to those who’ve been through trauma and those of us who love them.
Posted by James Hollas on July 6, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Bill, A Bunker Mentality was easy to read, but hard to put down. It is a great story that gives me a better insight into what it was like in Vietnam and what the troops went through on the front lines. And it gives a better view of you. I could almost see you talking in a lot of the dialogue. Your story ran through the emotions for me…..laughter and becoming wet eyed in some spots I do hope it helps you to overcome PTSD. I am very glad that they are now recognizing that it is a battle wound, just like a bullet–and probably a lot worse. And I think your book will help people understand the problems a vet faces when he has seen combat. And I do hope that we will quit thinking that war is the solution to our problems. Maybe it should be required reading for each class of congressmen before they go sending young men into battle all over the world.
Posted by Sue Burgett Mendez on July 7, 2010 at 1:36 am
Bill, you told a great story. You certainly went through a lot and did a great job putting the memories in writing. A Bunker Mentality was hard to put down; I read it in two days and was sorry that your story had to end, yet relieved for you that it did. It was so easy to get very involved in the book and as a reader, I felt like I was there and part of the action. My husband is now reading it and is having a hard time putting it down as well. I have read many, many books on Vietnam and recollections of combat stories from the war, but yours was particularly special because I knew you and several of the people mentioned in your book. Even without that connection, this would be an interesting read for anyone. I give you a lot of credit for putting getting your life together and not being bitter about any of the events that took place throughout your life. I’m proud to say I knew you when…just had no idea you had been through so much. You should be very proud to say that you are a Marine, Vietnam Vet, and a survivor not only of the war, but of PTSD. Thanks for telling your story.
Posted by Gary Yingling on July 7, 2010 at 2:18 am
I don’t know if I can put into words the deep emotions I experienced while reading your book Bill! Knowing you from about the 7th grade and until we both switched high schools and then went off to different branches of the military, I am ashamed that we didn’t reconnect until recently. Paul, Danny and Kathy had comments that were spot on (above) – they, like me, could hear your voice and see your young face as we knew it then as you walked us through what you did for us. I still had Pete’s obituary in my AKHS year book, but it is now where it belongs – tucked between pages 106 and 107 in your book. These brave and precious memoirs need to be a standard issue to all GI’s departing active duty, as there is no doubt regarding the lives it will save and the families it could reunite. This plain-talking, honest, and self-revealing autobiography is not only for our returning heros, but for all Americans who value our uniqueness in a world that seemingly cannot understand our liberty, freedoms and all that we stand for. These same fellow Americans must see our returning veterans through your eyes Bill! It might even motivate an effective exit program for combat vets that require periodic evaluations. There just seems so much that can be done that is overlooked. “Surviving War and Living with PTSD” need not be suffered alone in a vet’s personal “bunker”. Thanks for returning to us pal. We’ve missed you.
Posted by Lisa Gillispie on July 8, 2010 at 10:10 pm
reposting here:
Dear Bill,
I just finished your book, and I feel that it will be sitting with me for a long time. I feel it is incredibly courageous of you to share these details about your life. I find it humbling and deeply touching. I think it is essence of humanity to be able to make these connections: I did not have your experience, I was a ten year old kid during that time; but I can feel for you and try to understand what you were and are going through. I am a very committed pacifist, but I also respect the men and women who choose to serve our country. I’d like to believe that we can honor them and live up to our commitments to care for them, despite our religious and political views. I honestly hope for the day when war is an antiquated idea and is no more. In the meantime, I can learn a lot about how humans suffer, change and grow as a result of the experience of war. I feel badly that I never knew these things about you when I worked with you. In the end, I knew you would be okay, because you never lost your compassion. You showed compassion when you described your love for your fellow soldiers and when you gave food to villagers. Thank you for your story.
Lisa Gillispie
Posted by Tom Mills on July 12, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Bill … I have known you well for nearly 20 years, and I know that our friendship is strong enough that you have shared minor snapshots of your history before … but I was not prepared for reading the entire book from end-to-end … all of our citizens are eternally thankful for the contributions that all of you made so that we may be free. Personally, I felt like I was riding in the train with you to Paris Island, beside you when you carried the mail from the helicopter at Khe Sanh and beside you in too many foxholes … but I wasn’t … it was you!!
All of our lives have been enriched by knowing you … thank you for capturing this for Sean, for your friends and for yourself …
TOM
Posted by Rachel Simms on July 14, 2010 at 12:53 am
All I can say is Wow! I stayed up all night reading “A Bunker Mentality”. I could not put it down. I am still going over it’s content in my mind. There is so much to absorb and I had to pace myself not to rush through it. I know I will read it again. Thanks Bill, your bravery extends well beyond those dark years you served our country. You are truly a hero in my eyes.
Posted by Paul Williams on July 22, 2010 at 4:19 pm
What makes A Bunker Mentality more than a simple we-did-this-then-we-did-that Vietnam memoir is what subtly lies below the surface events. Like how most of a bunker is below ground, Bill’s book deftly shows us the two transformations in his life. First, from a savvy, sensitive Ohio high schooler to a smart but self-insulating soldier and subsequently adult with PTSD. Second, from the isolated, closed-off husband, father and businessman to the open, accepting, wiser man who realizes and understands his life and has the courage to say to himself, “No, you bastard, no.” Bill made two ultimate choices in his life: First, to join the Marines with a certainty of going to Vietnam. Second, to choose to stop 40 years of cutting himself off from his humanity and to embrace the joys — and pains — of living. Bill’s journey is in a sense circular and that completeness fulfills.
Working with Bill on the book, I learned that beyond the pain to the individual afflicted with post traumatic stress disorder is the greater suffering of those around the soldier — spouse, children, family. Like rings from a pebble tossed into a pond, PTSD invisibly, silently torments the people closest to the soldier, causing grievous physical and, worse, mental suffering. The lesson of Bill’s recovery from PTSD and his call to today’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to seek help is perhaps more than his sacrifice in Vietnam his greater service to his country and his fellow soldiers.
Posted by Richard Hunter on July 25, 2010 at 3:13 am
Bill, your journey of pain and suffering has not been in vain: It has given us the fruits of what you have transformed into a personal and professional triumph, allowing us to bear witness to your continuing revelation. I was deeply affected by every aspect of the book in ways that I am still trying to understand. I am changed because of it, if only because I now have a clear view of what was going on in our lives in parallel at that time — yours from the front lines of hell, and mine as a befuddled, detached junior high school kid here in the safety of America, numbed by the evening news of casualties and horror. But, even more poignantly, I am changed because of the power demonstrated in your courage to heal. Thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and your gifts. I’ve always known you are very special. God bless you.
Posted by Jerome Kuzniar on July 26, 2010 at 2:54 pm
In “Bunker Mentality” we get a personal glimpse of the uncommon courage and bravado of young men facing the perils of war. Too often the memories of their exploits return as hellish nightmares and overwhelming anxiety. Bill Wenger reminds us that the cost of war isn’t neatly tabulated in dollars or body count. The true costs are incalculable: But forty years to get help – talk about denial!
Posted by Rich Paffumi on October 25, 2010 at 7:01 pm
I concur with Jerry 100% about this being a travisty! Our Veterans are treated like second class citizens at times when they should be on top of the list! Veterans being homeless should never be a factor in this country, the greatest country ever! Just like the “War” itself, politics play a major part and should never enter into the equation! And then they have the audacity to call this event on our history “The Vietnam Conflict”!
Posted by randy rakich on July 27, 2010 at 1:11 am
Bill, what a great book about your life. I’m not a reader, but i read your book in two nites.
i remember when you and Pete joined the Marines. I went to Viet Nam Vets in Amherst tonight and
looked at those 98 names and was so glad that yours was not there too! Great job!
Posted by Dan Truxell on July 27, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Bill,
I finished reading your riveting work in only three days.It brought out a host
of emotions in me,namely fear,anger,depression,disappointment,
loneliness,sorrow, and even humor, (the truck driving segment really
knocked my socks off)!
I think back to all the petty stuff that I complained about while
serving in the Navy and compare it to what you endured and it all
seems so minuscule. I can however relate to your attempt to become a
M.P. All branches of the military have a way for stifling, even the
very best laid plans!
Pete was a great loss to anyone that had the privilege to have met
him.As you alluded in your work, he was very bright could have easily
chosen a different path. But the two of you decided to defend your
country against Communism.For that your friends and country are very
grateful.
The Good Lord has placed many fine people in my path over the years.
Bill you are certainly in the top percentile.I have had the distinct
pleasure of reconnecting with you and three other childhood friends
this past year.There must be a very good reason for that.
I’m glad that you sought out the help that you needed and were able to
conquer most of the inner demons.I do hope that the returning vets
from the Middle East will have the opportunity to read your work.
Semper Fi Bill (Willie)
Posted by katie ulichney on July 28, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I just finished A Bunker Mentality. If you are a veteran or know someone who is, this book will definitely help to shed light on the struggles of PTSD and how to overcome the vestiges. My dad is a Vietnam Veteran and I found this book to be very enlightening. Wow! I will never be in combat, but reading this book made me feel like I had been there
Posted by Pam Delaney on July 28, 2010 at 3:38 pm
A Bunker Mentality is a stripped bare honest memoir of one Viet Nam Veteran’s war time experience. I hope that many returning Vets are helped by the courage that it took for Bill Wenger to write it. I would recommend this book to everyone who has been a participant in a war zone or who knows someone who has been. The experience,insight, strength and hope shared by Bill Wenger, hopefully, will help Veterans recognize and accept their own experiences, and seek treatment for PSTD, and, most importantly, this book will help those who know and love them in understanding the causes of PSTD and the resulting behaviors.
Posted by Dan Breen on August 1, 2010 at 2:21 am
Posted by Dan Breen on July 26, 2010 at 1:23 am
I’m a childhood friend that spent some time with Bill when he got back from Nam. I particularly loved the book because it was both an accounting of the war experience and a very believable story of the person I knew and admired. I can validate that the “real life” William Wenger was exactly the type of person that would have reacted to the described events in exactly the way the book describes. Bill was always courageous and loyal with his friends and family. If I had ever had to be in such harms way, Bill is the guy I would have wanted at my back. I can also bare witness to the extreme level of anxiety that Bill came home with and I’ve went through my adult life wondering how it all turned out for him. It was a very emotional experience for me to read this book. People of all walks of life may find their own demons somewhere in his experience. I know I did. If I were still teaching history, ” A Bunker Mentality” would be on the must read list.
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Posted by Steve Dienna on August 2, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Bill,
I had not sent you a note as I was lost for words. Your hell and the story thereof was and is very moving.
Your book was fantastic and very emotional. I do hope the V.A. bought a few thousand copies so they can share it with the guys coming home. I had to put the book down a few times when you were describing the hell in Vietnam. What an experience you went through….. I appreciate how 9/11 brought the pain back to the forefront for you…. I remember the moving memos you sent out to the team immediately following that disaster. The important thing….is… you are starring down those emotions and moving forward. I remember you telling me about signing up for the extensions….this brings those stories all into perspective.
What a gift that you did by capturing all of this for your son. This will be carried forward to your grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Well done Bill …. Well done!
Posted by Kenney Breeden on August 7, 2010 at 9:53 am
Willie,
Great book ! Hey Marines, I was a Marine ,my brother Tim and my three sons were Marines. My oldest is still in with over 20 years. We think that this book should be in the PX. Marines are always looking for some good reading.
Willie, if you are still working in Atlanta , call me and we can have some good chow.
KB
Posted by SUSAN SHAGOVAC on August 25, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Hi Bill,
Im hoping to surprise my mother in law (Petes mother) with a signed copy of your book.
She has no idea about your book. Will you really be in Vermilion in Oct?
We will be there. Cant wait to read your book
Susan Shagovac
Posted by Bill Wenger on November 4, 2010 at 12:15 am
Susan, I was hoping to see you last week in Vermilion. Is everything Ok?
Posted by Craig Miller on August 28, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Wow, what a read. Scary sh*t. The last line is SO powerful. If you haven’t read it, please don’t jump ahead. If you have read it, please go back to it.
Thanks for your service Bill, and to all who served with you.
Be well,
Craig
Posted by Ashton on September 6, 2010 at 3:15 pm
I just read your book and finished it recentley, it was very very interesting, you could see how hard it was in Vietnam, and then you would come home and it would be like you were in a different world. The book was funny and sarcastic but it also explained your hardship and struggle.
Ashton, 13 years old
Downingtown PA
Posted by Virgil Johnson on September 10, 2010 at 7:56 pm
This is not an easy book to read. It reads quickly, you don’t want to stop but it is often hard to continue. The subject matter is often very grim. But it is an absorbing, interesting flashback to a time for some of us when the World was anyplace that we weren’t.
When I came home from Viet Nam (I was Air Force at a radar site off the coast, much much closer to the island of McHale’s Navy than Bill’s hilltop island of Khe Sanh) I started collecting and reading books on the war — history, first person accounts, novels. Looking at my bookshelves, there are next to no first-person accounts of actual combat and its costs to those who experienced it. This makes Bill’s book a valuable addition to the history of the war and places it next to two other great books on the war — Phillip Caputo’s A Rumor of War (another Marine first person) and the novel the 13th Valley by John M Del Vecchio.
The books reveals a Bill Wenger I never realized existed during the years we worked together. The Bill I knew was the truck driver who dumped his commander out the back with a jack-rabbit start. The trauma inside never showed but had to have hurt.
I hope others read this book and get help to overcome their demons.
Posted by Jan Bailey on September 10, 2010 at 8:37 pm
This book is so well written and brings back memories of life back then. I thought the guys who came home were the lucky ones, but now I see that may or may not be true to them. You were functioning very well in your dysfunction, my friend. I never would have guessed that you went through hell on earth, but I do know you did your part so that my brother didn’t have to be there, and being a woman, for me as well. I thank you and respect you more than ever. I hope you write other books on other subjects; you’re truly gifted.
Posted by Norma Haakonstad on September 14, 2010 at 2:40 am
I worked with Bill Wenger in the ‘90’s. We were in sales management. He was by far our best team leader. He was a supportive colleague. I admired him. I knew that Bill had a son whom he adored, that Bill had been a Marine in Viet Nam, and that his hobby was growing roses. I was quite surprised when I learned that Bill had written a book about his time in Viet Nam. It was well known that he wouldn’t talk about that time in his life.
I promised Bill I would write a review of his book. Little did I know how much of an emotional impact his book would have on me or how hard it would be to limit my comments to a few short sentences. Forgive me, Bill, once again being wordy.
A Bunker Mentality is a touching story of a young Midwesterner’s journey into and through adulthood under the curtain of war. For history buffs or for those looking for a good human interest story, A Bunker Mentality will be a good read. It is a story about the spunk that comes from naivety and about courage, tenacity, pain, and hope. You will find yourself drawn to Bill – warmed by his friendship, humor, and courage, and saddened by the tremendous pain he shouldered. Adding to the poignancy is the realization that hundreds of thousands of veterans have lived Bill’s story and so few have reached the level of healing that he has. It compels you to reflect on your own perception of the Viet Nam War (or any war) and your contribution to the environment awaiting every “Bill’s” return. In its own way, A Bunker Mentality is a call to action. For veterans it is a call to seek help. For the rest of us, it’s a call to ask whether enough is being done to help these heroes.
My copy of A Bunker Mentality arrived while my father, a Korean War veteran, was visiting us. He was curious about the book because he knew I had worked with Bill. I was sitting across from my Dad when he started to read the book. It wasn’t long before he was nodding his head and saying, “That’s exactly the way it was.” About half way through the book, he no longer made comments out loud and was reading with great focus. When he finished, he quietly put the book on the coffee table and said, “That was a well written book.”
Like his brother, Rudy, who had lost a leg in North Africa during World War II and my mother’s brothers who were in the South Pacific during World War II, Dad never talked about what he experienced during his time in the Army. Quite frankly, the only thing I recall him ever saying was that he couldn’t stand the sight of chicken for many years because he had eaten too much undercooked chicken while he was in the Army. Dad never was in a combat situation, but his brother and my uncles were, and the kid who grew up across the street from me had been in Viet Nam. I always wondered why none of them ever talked about their experiences. Now I know. My Aunt Margaret (Rudy’s widow) once showed me the letters she had received from Rudy during the war. They were full of friendly conversation and inquiries about the family back home. She then showed me a letter one of Rudy’s commanding officers had written her. It, she said, was the only real glimpse she had into what Rudy had gone through.
We had friends visiting shortly after I finished reading the book. It should come as no surprise that a lively conversation was triggered by what I had read.
Why am I sharing all this? Because A Bunker Mentality has a way of making you reflect. A Bunker Mentality has a way of making you want to talk to others about what you’ve read. A Bunker Mentality has a way of making you want to re-embrace the “Bill”s in your life.
Posted by Karen Elwell on September 20, 2010 at 1:32 am
I have a marine that went a-wol cause he couldn’t take it anymore. I WILL see you in vermilion soon, please have a few seconds to talk to me….. He has gotton awards for what hw has done, but he is suffering inside really bad he overturned my chairs and barricaded himself in front of the fireplace about 3 years ago I have pics… Now he is married and is in the brig for 125 days… I am afraid what his intentions are once he get out????? He also got me a dui cause he threw me in the seat when he was driving and hid in somones driveway. I have PTSD because of all of this, how can you help me???? I have seen dead Iraq people and he says this is me and this is what I do… My name is Karen and you can feel free to call me up in the audiance I will proudly tell my side as a grieving parent amd almost grandparent. These guys need help and who out there is going to help them????????????????
Posted by Dennis Devine on December 17, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Posted by Dennis Devine on December 17, 2010 at 6:30 pm
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Bill, I would like to thank you for writing this book, It was given to me by my sister in law, Felicia Jovais and I could really relate to it having grown up in a blue collar family in Phila. and having a father and many uncles who fought in WWII, Also numerous friends and classmates who served in Nam, My High School, Father Judge in Phila lost 27 one of the Highest in the Country. I served in RVN with the 101St Airbourne Div. In the Khe Sanh, Quang Tri area so I picture everything you spoke of, I also waited years before going to the VA, you know the macho thing, but I went in 2004 and they are a big help. So I hope other Vets read your book and they will realize that being in a war, your life is changed forever and there probaly won’t be a day that you won’t think about it. Thank you again, Dennis Devine
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Posted by Barbara Bobrowski Bacevice on December 27, 2010 at 3:39 am
This is a fascinating read! Did those of us Americans who lived through the period of the Vietnam War really understand the horrors of that conflict unless we heard it first hand? I for one knew only what was spoon-fed to us via the media, and those news reports were filtered, watered down and severely abbreviated. Bill’s account of his experiences are honestly and richly told. He presents not only a vivid visual depiction of his time in the worst conditions of war, but allows us into his head. He shares not only his thoughts as he survives day to day, but his feelings as well. The poignancy of the emotional committment of this young Marine to his country and comrades comes through full force. It is this depth of feeling combined with the inevitable scarring of his battlefield experience which combine to conjur up those “demons” which will plague him for many years. PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder: if you don’t know a thing about it when you begin this book, you will understand it by the time you finish it. Bill’s struggle with PTSD is candidly told. Thank you, Bill, for your honesty. This book provides much insight into the roots of a disorder which is not well known or understood by the average individual, and provides information and resources which can help other soldiers, veterans and their families. I highly recommend it!
Posted by John Vins on March 8, 2011 at 4:19 pm
A very moving story of one Marine’s experience in Vietnam, and how PTSD affected him much of his life. The author’s graphic descriptions of combat, his recollections of conversations with his buddies, and the sharing of his inner feelings throughout gave me the feeling that I was right there with him. This is a very good read that provides many insights into combat and the resulting PTSD. I commend Bill Wenger for bravely sharing his experiences with PTSD so all of us can better understand it and be able to help those who suffer from it.