TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

John Burwell Wilkes
still recovering and not ready to make a stand.
Even though these operations produced sparse hunting of NVA
game, they generated a great deal of work for everyone in the battery.
The physical labor required just by the movements to and from the
firebases was immense. There were always large tasks that absolutely
had to be accomplished by Marine muscle and sweat. Just hauling
ammo from wherever the nets were dropped to the ammo bunkers in
the gun pits was a constant requirement. 155 rounds weigh
approximately 100 pounds each and came with eye bolts screwed into
the nose of the round where the fuses attach. There was an extra
measure of respect given to Marines who were able to carry two
rounds after simultaneously lifting one in each hand, performing a
weight lifter drop, and swinging them onto their shoulders. The act
required great strength and coordination. Most of the smaller guys and
even some of the larger guys were just not able to perform the
maneuver without wrenching some body part or banging their head
with one of the rounds.
Now and then, I wanted to chip in with the repositioning of
artillery rounds for the sheer exercise it provided, and I wanted the
troops to know that I was capable of hard physical labor myself, but I
did not want to be seen as one of the guys who could only carry one
round at a time. Unsure of whether I could do it myself, I went to the
ammo dump alone to learn and practice the two round hoist maneuver.
Thankfully I got the hang of it right away.
Because of all the difficult tasks requiring working parties, the
battery gunnery sergeant is a crucial player in a successful battery. He
is charged with making sure the work gets accomplished like a
foreman of a construction crew. For a while I had a worrisome
problem in that position. The billet initially was filled by an E­6 staff
sergeant who was an incredibly good person and dedicated Marine. He
was one of twelve persons holding the highest level black belt of a
karate sub group from Okinawa. One of their signature demonstrations
was catching an arrow shot at their torso with their hand.
My best memory of this staff sergeant was his volunteering to
cook a bacon and egg breakfast for the battery on one of the firebases.
Our mustang XO had secured some bacon from who knew
where, and we somehow had some large cans of B­ration powdered
eggs. Our breakfast plan was initially dashed when we found that the
powdered eggs tasted terrible. We also had some big cans of powdered
cheese, which also tasted awful. Not wanting to give up, I suggested
he try mixing the eggs and cheese. To our amazement the result was
actually delicious, and the breakfast was a big hit.
Sadly, the staff sergeant was just too nice a guy to fill the
requirements of his job. Consequently, many important tasks were not
being accomplished. There was more than one occasion that, after I
had identified and assigned to him an important new task, I would find
him trying to accomplish the task all by himself. He just had too much
empathy for the troops, and it was difficult for him to give unpleasant
orders to tired troops. I decided I needed to replace him, and I was
able to get him a good job elsewhere in the regiment for which he was
much better suited.
The replacement I had requested turned out to be perfect for
the job. I first saw GySgt Newman waiting for me to collect him at the
landing zone of Vandegrift Combat Base. He was a salty and crusty
big man with a considerable beer belly and a constant cigar stub in his
mouth. He proved to be outstanding at the handling and manipulation
A‐70