A Bunker Mentality

by William Wenger

Overview

Written as a memoir for his son, this story is about a young man's personal experiences in Vietnam. After graduating from high school, William Wenger enlisted in the Marines as a way to escape a turbulent home life. Sgt. Wenger was assigned to Charlie Company 1/9 3rd Mar Div., known as the "walking dead" and fought in the battle of Khe Sanh, one of the bloodiest of the war. Wenger's battles didn't end when he returned from Vietnam - he fought a 40-year battle with the emotional conflicts brought on by the horrors of conflict. An honest and revealing story of struggling with PTSD, Wenger talks about the depression, the anxiety and the resulting isolation. A chance encounter with another Vietnam vet leads Wenger to a path of recovery through the services of the VA. He realizes that he can't fight this battle alone and that it's a sign of strength to reach out for help. This book is a positive message for today's veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940011869730
Publisher:	Wenger Publishing Company
Publication date:	11/21/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	247
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

William D. Wenger left for the Marine Corps in June 1967 after graduating from Admiral King High School in Lorain Ohio. In November of 1967 he left for Vietnam. After spending 2 ½ years in combat he received an Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps in April of 1970.
William graduated from Lorain Community College in 1973 and then went on to graduate from Heidelberg College in 1975. He taught high school for a year before taking over the education program at a local juvenile detention center. His career in social work continued as he was appointed to a state position in the Ohio Youth Commission.
In the 1980 he moved from Ohio to Florida taking a position with a publishing systems company. Over the next 33 years he worked his way up the executive ladder. William used alcohol and career focus to avoid dealing with unresolved issues from his years in Vietnam. The result was 3 failed marriages and a personal life that stayed in varying degrees of instability.
Following the 9/11 attacks his life took a yet another turn. Career and alcohol no longer enabled him to avoid dealing with unresolved issues. Following a chance meeting with a follow marine he sought assistance from Veterans Association. With the help of the VA he was able to finally find the courage to tell his story. The writing of the story has been a mental health process which has helped him and in return he hopes his story will encourage young vets to seek help before it is too late.

Editorial Reviews

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.

David White

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…

Jerry Kuzinar

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 PTSD...

Pam Delaney

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.

Paul Willimas

... 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.

> I hope others read this book and get help

Virgil Johnson