Analysis: The Bertuli Story

The Bertuli Story It is known that passing stories down from one family member to another keeps the memories alive. The same can be said for those who have served in our military. Getting personal information from someone who has experienced that part of life can be so important in keeping those memories, both good and not-so-good alive. In interviewing Mr. Leonard Bertuli, a United States Marine from Mark, IL, my partner Seth Carlson and I learned more about his life before entering military, his experiences while in the military, specifically during those taking place during the Vietnam war. Leonard Bertuli’s life before entering the military was full of life and small town entertainment. Leonard grew up in a small, Illinois Valley town …show more content…
He still had his guns which was important for him. Leonard was shipped out of basic in October and was sent into battle right away. He was a Infantry Sergeant, but was later was moved to Platoon Leader, when his platoon leader died. Leonard only had one change of clothes with him, he was out there for a year and had one shower and one change of clothes. The conditions he lived in were not the best, he had canned food, only getting, if lucky one hot meal a day, slept little amounts of time, and was overall in a dangerous place. He would travel all around the jungle/terrain trying to stay alive. Him and his men would stay awake all day and sleep little amounts of hours during the night, you could not really sleep at night, since the Guerilla’s were always moving around. He told us one night that he dug himself a little hole and put his bag behind him and he used it as a pillow to protect him from the snipers that are all around. While trying to get some sleep, he would just lay there and look up at the sky and try to make peace with God. That was his was to get through. In the military, some soldiers use certain things to help them cope or get through the day. Some use sports if they have time, some have cards to play or they smoke, but majority of them will bring the bible or some sort of prayer they enjoy to read. I asked Leonard what he liked to do to keep busy, or to keep his mind off …show more content…
All the other wars had enemy lines, a front line and you knew who you were fighting against. This war was the complete opposite. In Vietnam you had no clue who you were fighting. During the day you could be talking to a farmer in a village, and at night that same person you were talking to could be trying to kill you. Which made the soldiers and everyone else adapt the “trust no one” mindset. With battles happening everyday, this was not a taking over land type of winning the war. This war came down to the body counts. Now just imagine what Leonard went through. Walking into an unknown jungle, it is sunny and the middle of the summer in Vietnam. In the distance Leonard could hear the gunshots and bombs exploding. The smell of fresh gunpowder lingered through the air as platoons of men fell into their position. Leonard and his men wandered through the jungle looking for anything they can see, politically correct way the government said it to the public was “search and destroy” but to Leonard and his men it was “find and kill” meaning once you see something suspicious shoot first, ask question second. It got to a point in Leonard's time where he had to face the truth about the war, Leonard with the fate of other men on his shoulders was surrounded by many of Viet Cong soldiers. The men Leonard was with, was under heavy fire. They had to depend their spot until the air support would come and help.