The Bamboo Shoot is the memoir of James Parker Wollner detailing his experiences and those of his platoon members of day to day life during the Vietnam War. It is also a story of his surroundings as well as the various ethnic groups that the unique unit worked with, from the Nungs to the Thais. It is a story of emotions, the good and bad, days of monotony followed by days that seemed to fly by. It is the story of the feelings of terror and grief at the loss of friends, and the uplifting spirit of camaraderie between brothers, and of helping those who could not help themselves. The story starts with Jim