Bikini Beach
The Best-Selling Debut novel from Butch Maki
Summary
"I was just a guy doing my job," the "aww shucks" farm boy from New England, turned crusty veteran, said. Okay, so that killed the splashy, war movie Hollywood deal, but it revealed something more valuable. Common Valor, the kind exhibited every day by men who fought in a godforsaken place. Kids quickly turned into men who rode into the jaws of death. A "job" with the same risk of death whether delivering toothpaste and rations to a forward operating base or dropping 10 Grunts into a hot LZ, dodging tracers and RPGs all the way in and out... just doing a job.
Based on true events, best-selling author Butch Maki, through his character, Huey helicopter crew chief, Sergeant Donald 'Mack' Makinen, displays the ordinary valor so common in a war that it hardly gets a mention in movies and novels. Within these pages, he shares his wartime grit, common sense, white-knuckle bravery, and a healthy ration of unexpected humor with us.
You'll fly along with the 'Angels of the Air'- that's what an infantry soldier caught in the thick of it with only a chopper as his life-saving way out called his unit. You'll also be right alongside the 'Devils of the Sky' - or what an enemy in a rice paddy, training an RPG on the 'evil bird' called them.
Bikini Beach is the compelling story of a young man forced to grow up at a live-or-die speed. You'll be with him as he leaves his dreams of home on the pillow of his warm cot every morning and flies into a day-long nightmare. You'll witness instinctual acts of heroism one minute, surprising moments of mercy in another, and a blood lust rage aimed at some poor V.C. schmuck trying to kill his chopper, the next. A potent brew that brings about a different kind of change in this farm boy, a trauma that will last Mack way beyond the war – a silent wound bleeding the life out of him many years after the conflict. For Mack and thousands of guys "just doing a job" like him, including the author, the biggest battles of their lives lay before when they stepped off the plane and back onto American soil.
Whether you were over there, loved someone who was, or just admire the warrior spirit, Bikini Beach will satisfy, thrill, and penetrate your soul. It is said that most Vietnam tales start with a helicopter and end with one. This book definitely starts with a Huey, but it doesn't end there.
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Tracing the Legacy
The 170th Assault Helicopter Company was part of the Vietnam War which occurred from 1954–1975. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. lists more than 58,300 names of U.S. military personnel who lost their lives in the conflict or were missing in action. Additionally, over 150,000 were wounded and 1,600 were unaccounted for. Records indicate that 7,013 Hueys were used in the war and approximately 2,500 were destroyed by the enemy. A Huey helicopter is operated by two pilots, a crew chief, and a gunner. The total number of helicopter pilots killed during the Vietnam War was 2,202 and the total number of crew chiefs and gunners was 2,704.
A Rockin’ Tune
Check out the parody tune created for the book by the multi-talented award-winning and best-selling fiction author, Tom Avitabile, titled ‘50 Ways to Meet Your Maker’ and the incredible accompanying video that brings the song to life in ways I could have never imagined.
Awards & Recognitions
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Short Story Category: Bikini Beach’s chapter 15, ‘From a Chicken to an Eagle’
Presented at the April 2023 National Creative Arts Festival Ceremony for Winners for 2022-2023 Submissions -
‘Bob’s Last Flight’
selected July 2023 -
‘From a Chicken to an Eagle’
selected 2023
Praise from Readers
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“Bikini Beach, is a fact based story of how the Viet Nam War affected him (and so many others) emotionally, physically and personally. This is a well written account of a soldier who loves his country, what it means to be an American and the pain and sacrifices made in a time of war. I laughed, cried and just sat in silence while reading. A must read!”
Beckey Gear
Congresstional Aide (Retired) -
"As one of our nation's valiant soldiers who fought in Vietnam and served the U.S., and then continued his outstanding service with a long stint as my congressional and Governor’s aid on behalf of and for the citizens of New Mexico and the country, Butch Maki has written an inspiring, fact-based story that tells of his real-life experiences that everyone should read and thank him for."
Bill Richardson
American politician, author, and diplomat
30th governor of New Mexico 2003 - 2011 -
“I have read a book every two weeks for years, and Bikini Beach is the only one I read twice.”
Bill Pedace
Vice President (Retired), General Dynamics -
“Bikini Beach is a compelling story of our young soldiers as they faced combat in Vietnam. Many of these young men were away from home for the first time in a conflict that was very controversial. Butch Maki brings out how these soldiers grew from boys to men. You are drawn into their lives as they face combat for the first time. The story is captivating – a must-read for what these soldiers experienced.”
Bill Kangas
U.S. Army - 1968-1970 -
“Events of the late 1960s and early 1970s tested the resolve of the U.S. like no period since the Civil War. I was too young for the draft but had a heightened awareness of the drama playing out on our national stage. One window to the world was the daily headline on The Boston Globe newspapers I delivered to doorsteps across town. Another was through eyes of young boys, not much older than me, leaving for Vietnam and returning as men, forever changed. Butch Maki expertly tells their story. His story. Boys who had fathers that fought a clear and righteous WWII with a country united in support and sacrifice for whom the Vietnam experience provided neither. Men cast in the mold of a country at odds with itself. Butch does not preach, nor does he take sides. This is the essence of his message and storytelling style. Using actual events from combat and then the home front, he tells a compelling drama of innocence, conflict, growth, love, failure, and triumph. Loved this book. Could not put it down."
Bill Haigis
Senior Vice President (Retired), ABB -
“Bikini Beach is a great read. It starts out slow but quickly picks up the pace and maintains that cadence throughout. It is the story of a helicopter crew chief during the Vietnam War and his experiences while riding in the back of a Huey. When he wasn’t twisting wrenches, he was sitting as an M-60 door gunner in that very same helicopter. This is more than a war story because it dredges up the reader’s own memories of the conflict. The war’s participants got very good at putting their own experiences into mental compartments. Throughout their working life, they were too busy slaying dragons to remember what they did and saw. Later, after they retired, they had time to recall events long since forgotten. This book will unleash some of those memories, but this is not all bad because some of the monsters are funny as well as evil. Butch Maki writes a real and readable story.”
CWO Jon Landstrum
Veteran of Vietnam and Iraq wars -
“As a former slick and gunship pilot with the 170th Assault Helicopter Company, all of Butch Maki's stories ring true. Apparently, the names have been changed to protect the ‘innocent.’ Bikini Beach gives an authentic feel to the experiences of the pilots, crew chiefs and door gunners. It contains fun and real stories of the Army Aviation men of the Vietnam War.”
Roger "Fuzzy" Weaver
Bikini 19/Buccaneer 3 -
“An innocently told tale of how war ‘happens’ to someone, and what war is guilty of doing to them.”
Tom Avitabile
Bestselling Author -
"I’m not a reader so having Bikini Beach less than a week, I’ve completed and can’t wait for a follow up. You’ve done an amazing job. And I’m proud to say I was a classmate."
Maury Lizotte
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“I couldn’t put down your book. Have shared it with a cousin ‘who was there’ and he was hooked in just a few pages. Congratulations on your achievement & Thank You for your Service & Sacrifices!”
Peter Markham