Bu Ku Kilo

By Art De Groot

Bu Ku Kilo

A Glimpse into the Book

Bu Ku writes a tell all reflection on his tour of duty in Viet Nam 1967-1968. In his 55 war stories Bu Ku brings to the surface the good, bad and ugly situations encountered 44 years ago on the unpopular battlefront of Nam. Viet Nam, that is.

Bu Ku uses the army colorful language of the day to tell the story in a authentic war fashion, using explanatory slang and cuss words were the norm during the war and Bu Ku feels needed to tell the story in a realistic fashion.

A projected glimpse into the lives of army vets as they fought and died in a controversial bloody conflict that took the lives of over a million Vietnamese people and 58,000 American soldiers. In the end America left in disgrace. Although the soldiers fought valiantly and repelled and destroyed tens of thousands of the Viet Cong VC and North Viet Nam Regulars NVA. In the end our political will crumbled Nixon just got us out. It was a sad coming home for most vets and even now 44 years later the scars are still everywhere. Just about everyone has a Viet Nam Vet story to tell. Some ugly and some good and so it goes.

Bu Ku says, Read my story. You will be enlightened at the events that took place . It may help you understand or get over your cross you may still be carrying on your bleeding shoulders. That conflict called Nam!!!
Bu Ku Kilo

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477269657

Book preview

AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Phone: [phone]

© 2012 Art De Groot. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/03/2012

ISBN:   978-1-4772-6966-4 (sc)

978-1-4772-6965-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012917359

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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.

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Bu Ku Kilo

One Viet Nam Vet’s

Reflections

The GOOD, BAD and the UGLY

Tour of Duty

September 1967 – October 1968

Art De Groot

Contents

Bu Ku Kilo

About The Author

Introduction

Draft

OCS

THE ROCK SOLDIER

FLIGHT ON A C-130

A DEAL WITH THE MAN UPSTAIRS

PLEIKU 67

Dead Guy in Motor Pool

WILD DOG

SHOT ON GUARD DUTY

SMOKING POT ON GUARD DUTY

Rocket Attacks

THE CONVOY TO DAKTO

The Battle for Hill 875

BODIES IN CARGO NET

DAKTO FIRE BASE

6 STALK KILLERS

At Dakto the Colonel

Tan Can Village

Dakto, Radio and Guard duty

ACCIDENT AT DAKTO

EMERGENCY AT DAKTO

Giving Blood

HOON AND THE MONTAGNARDS

RADIO SYSTEM FAIL

ROCKET BUNKERS

Rocket Attacks

TET 68

TET 68, 26 Soldiers Die

Four Mps Die

DUCE AND A HALF REPAIR

AIN’T NO ATHEISTS IN NAM

KID AT DUMP

Duce and a Half Floor

Cook

PROJECTILES FOR BIG GUNS

Pull the Dam Molar

CONVOY DUTY

LET THOSE FUCKING CHARLIE HEADS ROLL

LAMBRETA

MOTOR POOL

Burn the shit man

Chief

Babysons

Entertainment girls

GRUNTS ON GUARD DUTY

HOOCH GIRLS

28 DAY EXTENSION

HOSPITAL

JEEPS FOR LT. COX

Sick Call

MORPHINE SURRETS

Uncle ho

THE WILL OF HO CHI MINH

Bu Ku Kilo

Introduction

I am a 69 year old Vietnam Veteran.

I have decided to write my tell all reflections about my Nam tour of duty

In ‘67 and ‘68. Through the years I have written a few poems about the war, presented a couple of toned down speeches about the war, and recovered from a fairly severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have been reluctant to engage in this adventure of writing because of all the blowback it could ignite. Many officers and enlisted men may not approve of what I have to say. It could get some people very upset.

Also, I am concerned about our government because what I am going to tell you, they will deny with fervor. However, I am going to name some vets and not name others in the story. I am going to name units, military commands, bases and places as fact. It is time for someone with courage to tell the story. So I am going to do it.

My book may or may not ever be published, however I will have to write it as my personal remembrances and reflections in a fictional style in order to engage the public so they will be enlightened.

I will apologize in advance to any vets that are insulted, pissed off or otherwise embarrassed or intimidated by my story. After all these years I suggest you vets get over it. By now you should have moved on down the road, and you can always say I was a nutcase and wrote a fiction story about the Nam experience.

Also, I apologize to Uncle Sam. Sorry, Uncle, I just have to tell the folks some of the crap you made us vets drudge through the last forty years or so. I know that fighting a war is a damned difficult and horrible thing to do, and am aware that us vets were your servants of execution of the Vietnamese people, but the folks should know about Uncle Sam’s responsibility to start, fight and disengage from Nam all those years ago. So, sorry, Uncle, you are over 200 years old now and by God, you are old enough to take it.

I apologize to wives, lovers, children, parents of all the Vets. You may be taken for an over the top experience for what your vet may have been involved in or did in Nam. Your vet may be alive and well or could

be messed up or dead. I am very sorry about this, but the story must be told. War is hell and over 58,000 of us were killed in Nam and at least a million of us who have survived have had to live with it and get over it or die trying. Too many have committed suicide or died too early from service connected crap.

If you are a wife you most likely dumped (divorced) your vet husband long ago and moved out of the pain and into the light of a new relationship. As for me, my wife and I married in 63 and are together and have a good life and a great family and long term marriage relationship.

This book should open your soul, stimulate your mind, increase your blood pressure and make your ears burn hot with passion.

You will see the Viet Nam Vet in a New Light.

I give you my story . . .

It is yours madam, dude. You now own my story!

Digest it!

Share It!

Bu Ku Kilo

Again, read it, pass it on to a friend. As only a Vietnam Vet would say,

I have to write this Fucking Story

About The Author

Arthur, who goes by Art, the author was born on a North West Iowa farm. ( His grandfather’s family estate farm). In September, 1942 at the onslaught of WW11. All of Arts’ ancestors were Dutch immigrants. His parents were hired farm workers and had only gone through the 6th grade. His father was shipped off to basic training a few days after Arthur was born. After serving in Europe on the Hitler mop up campaign his father operated a Dutch bakery in the town of Hull Iowa for a few years. In 1952 the family moved to Worthington Minnesota. In 1960 Arthur graduated from Worthington High School. In 1956-57 Arthur helped his father design, construct and build a new family home on Lake Hill Dr. While in High school Arthur worked part time and on Saturdays and holidays for a local tough guy building contractor, Orville Apple. Orville was a great boss, employer and mentor for Arthur for over 3 years.

After graduation, Arthur relocated to Chicago Ill. At age 18 he rented an apartment with roommates Rodger Ahlberg and Nick van Swol, worked part time at the federal Reserve Bank in the Chicago loop in the coin department while attending DeVry technology school in Chicago, and obtained a associate of Arts degree in Electronic Technology in early 1963. Arthur dated Joy Tanis his last year in school and they got married on Nov. 2, 1963. Joy was a registered nurse and Art a technician employed by James Electronics. They rented a apartment on Chicago North side and they settled down only to be drafted in 1965 into the USA Army. To avoid infantry duty Arthur enlisted for 3 years and was guaranteed a