By John Montesano –
Tom Bulin was born December 10, 1947 and grew up on the Southwest Side of Chicago. He didn’t like living in the city, but preferred the country. Growing up he spent Summers at his grandmother’s cottage on the Fox River in Millbrook, eight miles southwest of Yorkville..
He joined the Marines in 1965. In early December 1965, following basic training, he went to Okinawa with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. He was trained on the 60mm mortar and in March 1966, went to Vietnam with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Regiment to the Phu Bai, Hue City areas. They participated in patrols and ambushes against the Viet Cong in the Thua Thein-Hue Province.
Bulin was in a mortar squad as an ammo “humper” and was not supposed to go on ambushes. Nonetheless, he was sent out on some ambushes. In June 1966, the Battalion moved just south of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), in the Song Ngan River Valley known as “Helicopter Valley,” because of all the helicopters that were shot down with Marines on board. They participated in Operation Hastings, a multi-battalion operation from July 15 to August 3, 1966. The first major Marine campaign against the 324B North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and 8,000 Marines participated. It stopped the NVA from advancing into South Vietnam. The NVA Division losses were 824 killed and 17 POWs. Marine losses were at 126 killed and 448 wounded. In September, they moved to Dong Ha against the 324B NVA Division in Operation Prairie in the Razor Back Mountains. It was costly for both sides: Approximately 1,300 NVA killed. Marine losses were 200 killed and more than 1,000 wounded.
At the end of 1966 the 4th Marine Regiment was pulled out of the DMZ and sent south to participate in Operation Chinook around Hue.
In early 1967, Tom went to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and later in July 1967 was transferred to the Marine Corp Air Station in Quantico, Va.. He was in the security section of a squadron designated as HMX1 for new helicopter systems; and an executive flight detachment or presidential helicopter squadron. He did have the opportunity of flying with president Richard Nixon, vice president Spiro Agnew and several heads of state. He earned the rank of sergeant and became Sergeant of the Guard.
In July 1969, Tom came home to Berwyn, Ill.. He had married in 1968 to Martha and had two children.
After five years, Tom receive a degree in public administration at Roosevelt University in Chicago. What followed were jobs with various government agencies: The IRS, criminal investigation division and Department of Health and Human Services. He was investigating various types of tax fraud, misuse of government funds, Medicare fraud, and misuse of grant money. He was a criminal investigator for 24 years.
In 1976, Tom and Martha moved to Boulder Hill, section of Montgomery. They were divorced in 1982. In 1984, Tom was married to Judy, who had four children from a previous marriage. There are 14 grandchildren, who call him Grandpa.
Tom retired in 2002 at age 54. He has a few hobbies. When the weather permits, he still goes down to Silver Springs State Park, west of Yorkville to fish; mainly to just hang out at the Fox River.