Over five decades ago, approximately 2.7 million Americans served in the Vietnam War, one of the largest and deadliest wars of the 20th century.

On the morning of July 11, nine of those Americans – including one from Montgomery County – were sitting in a large storage room eating breakfast and talking about memories of Vietnam. Keith Albert, Alan Bufka, Jim Cushman, Donnie Fitzgerald, Don Harold, Richard Minnick, Darold Rux, Jack Miller and Larry Mills were part of that reunion.

Bufka and his wife Pat hosted the reunion. The storage room was next door to their home that was located about five miles northeast of New Florence on Manley Road.

Cushman, who is from Mechanicsburg, Ohio, said he enjoyed his first trip to Montgomery County.

“This is great that this man (Bufka) has posted this thing out in the country,” Cushman said.

This is the third time the Bufkas hosted a reunion for Vietnam veterans. They also hosted in 2017 and 2005.

“This is a lot of work because I feed everybody the whole time they’re here,” Pat Bufka said.

All nine Vietnam veterans were part of the 86th/501st Land Clearing group. The landclearers helped the U.S. military neutralize the enemy’s heavy cover.

“This whole land clearing thing started off in 1965 and ended in 1972,” Albert said. “It was never done before that and it hasn’t been done since. This is a unique routine.”

Seven of the veterans at the reunion had nicknames. Miller, who is from Appleton, Wis., was nicknamed Trigger.

“I could make some fast decisions when the equipment had issues,” Miller said. “I was good at it. I was trained.”

Bufka – a 1965 Montgomery County graduate – was nicknamed Buff. Rux, who is from Muscoda, Wis., was nicknamed Squirrel after fighting over a teenage girl. Minnick, who is from Belton, Texas, was nicknamed Red because he had red hair when he was in Vietnam. Fitzgerald was called Arkie because he was from Arkansas. Harold was nicknamed Sugar Bear after the mascot of the Golden Crisp cereal.

Harold, who is from Scott Depot, W.V., said he was given his nickname by Gary Linton, who was known as the Green Baron.

“He said I look like that Sugar Bear on TV because of the way I walk,” Harold said. “It stuck.”

Albert, who is originally from Los Angeles and now lives in Conway, S.C., doesn’t have a nickname, but he should be called the historian. For years, he has been collecting photographs and other memorabilia of the Vietnam War.

“I’ve been extremely lucky,” Albert said. “I started asking people to send pictures to me for a collection.I wanted pictures, but then I started doing after action reports, information on the units and blah, blah, blah. Anything that seems interesting and deals with land clearing, I made a file for it.”

At the reunion, there were pictures on the wall that were taken by William Potts, who was the 62nd Engineers photographer. Albert identified a man in one of those pictures and they worked together in Vietnam.

“(Potts) sent those to our organization president last year,” Albert said. “I don’t know what got him off the dime to do that. He’s probably like the rest of us – getting old and clearing out stuff.”

The Vietnam War lasted 20 years from 1955-1975. Up to three million people were killed during that conflict.

Miller said being in Vietnam was not a pleasant experience.

“We had some issues with getting proper clothes sometimes,” said Miller, who was in Vietnam from 1968-1969. “We would get one hot meal a day if they could get a helicopter to fly it out to us. So we ate a lot of sea rations. It was rough. I grew up and enjoyed it.”

Cushman, who served in Vietnam from 1966-68, said he’s glad he’s still working. He works 60 hours a week at a sand and gravel pit.

“I’m working everyday,” Cushman said. “I always have something to do at a pit, as long as there’s diesel fuel in something to make it run. If you come on a Sunday and hear a beep, beep, beep, I’m there doing something.”

Pat Bufka said the Vietnam veterans have been holding reunions for 20 years. Her husband served in Vietnam in 1969-1970.

“Every other year, they get together at one of their homes,” Pat said. “We went to Kansas, South Carolina and West Virginia for reunions. These guys get together. I guess they depended on each other so much in Vietnam that it’s like they have never been apart. They are that close.”

Fitzgerald, an Arkansas resident who served in Vietnam from 1969-70, said he was happy to make the 300-plus mile trip to reunite with his Vietnam mates.

“Alan and Pat have held this reunion several times and they did a great job,” he said. “We’re grateful for that.”