Robert “Bob” Kunkel spent much of his service in Vietnam walking point, so when it came time to name his book of memoirs about his experiences there, Walking Point was a natural choice.
The Minnesota author spoke with a group of people who were interested in his book and experiences in Vietnam Wednesday at the Clearwater Library.
Raised on Pearl Lake, in 1966 Kunkel was drafted at age 22 and spent most of his time in Vietnam serving with B Company, 5th/7th Cavalry in the 1st Calvary Division, based out of Camp Radcliff near An Khe. He returned home just before his 25th birthday and didn’t talk about his experiences for 35 years.
When asked why he wrote his book, Kunkel explained after retiring from his demanding career his mind didn’t have enough to occupy it, and he began to have flashbacks to Vietnam. He’d hear a song that was popular during that time and it would take him right back.
His veterans service officer convinced him to go to the VA and talk to someone. He went and was told he had a classic example of PTSD and was set up with a psychiatrist. He began jotting down notes about what he wanted to talk about, and soon realized it was time to write everything down for his family.
Kunkel ended up writing three versions of his Vietnam memoirs, each longer than the last as he kept remembering things he felt should be included. Originally intended only for his family, he was told his story should be read by others and ended up publishing it in 2018.
Kunkel spoke to the audience about battles he was in and the dangers of “friendly fire,” as well as answering numerous questions.
He recalled an instance where his company was going into tunnels to clear them of “gooks” (what they called the Vietnamese during the war) and he got stuck in one. Panicked at the thought of being there when the enemy returned, he managed to turn around and free himself. He hasn’t been able to go into tight spaces since.
His company had numerous casualties, including one of his two best friends. Kunkel himself was severely injured after being shot in the back during his first major battle.
Evacuated to Japan, he spent the next three months attempting to recover, and although he was told he should go home to the U.S., Kunkel decided to return to his company instead. Because he was unable to carry a full pack on his back, he was moved to guard duty for the artillery.
Kunkel was also injured by Agent Orange that was being sprayed by helicopters. Not realizing the danger, he lifted his face skyward so the mist from the chemical would cool him down from the 110-degree heat. He stills bears the scars he received on his face and arms today.
Returning home, he was treated in much the same way as other Vietnam veterans were.
“There were six of us coming through Los Angeles Airport,” he said. “The way they treated us was just awful. They did everything but hit us. We’d been told to just grit our teeth and bear it.”
Even today he’s occasionally treated that way. Once after he’d gotten a Vietnam Veteran Purple Heart license plate he was stopped by a man in a parking lot who told him, “If you hadn’t been there you wouldn’t need that plate.”
When asked why he felt we didn’t win the war, Kunkel responded, “We probably won every battle in the field, but the North Vietnamese won because they wouldn’t quit. They were very disciplined soldiers who very good at what they did. I have a lot of respect for that.”
He added that he strongly believes the U.S. would have won the war if we would have landed in North Vietnam, because they would have had to send their people home to fight.
Walking Point can be purchased through Amazon, at the Tri-County News office in Kimball or through Kunkel himself.
