4^th/47^thBattalion Connection
John Gerbing is another local veteran who served in the same 9^th Infantry Division unit that I served with at Fort Riley, Kansas and Vietnam. I didn’t know John back then, but upon visiting my friend Jerry Danielsen years ago I discovered that John was his next door neighbor. He and I stayed in touch and finally met at Route 66 to begin creating this Veterans Page.

Topsy Turvy

John W. Gerbing 9th Infantry Division Patch. Blood Over Water

John W. Gerbing was born May 19, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois where he lived until he was six years old until his father moved his family to San Jose, California. 

In 1955, they moved again to the San Fernando Valley as John’s father worked in aerospace. He attended Crespi High School until 11^th grade when he met a beautiful girl named Patricia Ready who attended Monroe High School.

John was so smitten with Pat that he promptly transferred to Monroe, not knowing that she would soon break off their budding romance.

“Pat turned my world topsy turvy,” he said.

While attending Crespi, John competed in track and field running the 100 yard dash in an astonishing 10.2 seconds.

Uncle Sam’s Greeting

After graduating from Monroe High School on June 19, 1964, John attended Valley Junior College and blissfully rekindled his relationship with Pat. However, he dropped out intending to resume the following semester, but Uncle Sam had different ideas.

John received “Uncle Sam’s Greeting” and reported to LA’s induction station on May 17, 1966. This exact situation happened to me as I was also drafted May 17, 1966.

John W. Gerbing Cleaning his M-16

After that long day at LA’s induction station, John was bused to Fort Ord, California for several days of Army orientation. He received a buzz haircut, olive drab fatigues, boots, multiple vaccinations, etc.

“We arrived at Fort Ord late that first day and we couldn’t get off that bus fast enough for those crotchety ole sergeants hollering at us,” said Gerbing.

Custer Hill

After three days at Fort Ord, John and his fellow soldiers flew to Kansas City and then bused to Fort Riley, Kansas, arriving at 5 a.m. the next morning.

John W. Gerbing Combat Infantryman Badge

“Once again, we suffered another rowdy and uncouth reception by a cadre of sergeants who treated us like criminals.  We got no sleep until after another really long rough day,” he recalled.

During his first day with Alpha Company, 4^th/47^th Battalion, he was assigned as an acting Buck Sergeant squad leader, which irritated his men as it was his job to assign barrack janitorial duties.

Soon, these newly minted soldiers received disconcerting news that they were part of the 9^th Infantry Division’s reactivation for combat in Vietnam.

Echo Company
After basic training, everyone received a two-week leave of absence.

John W. Gerbing USS General John Pope

The San Fernando, Antelope, Simi, and Santa Clarita Valley’s were hit hard by the draft and it brought many of us together at Fort Riley.

We chartered a passenger plane and flew to Van Nuys Airport for a glorious two-week leave of absence.

But alas, it was soon over and we were back to Fort Riley for Advanced Infantry Training. John had made good friends with Noel T. West, who was scheduled for medic training at Fort Sam in Houston, Texas.

Noel convinced John to join the newly created Echo Company as a four-deuce mortar man.  Though it was logical since John was an Alpha Company mortar man, he hated leaving his buddies, but he took Noel’s advice.

John fondly remembers his friend to this day and he strongly believes his advice was a lifesaver.

USS General John Pope

Our 4^th/47^th Battalion trained for six months until December 1966. We received a two- week leave of absence for Christmas and for John and the rest of us, it was a bittersweet reunion with our families knowing we would soon deploy into combat.

John W. Gerbing WWII Troop Ship USS General John Pope

In early January 1967,  we boarded a troop train on a snowy day for a four-day ride to Oakland, California. Here, we boarded a World War II troop ship, the USS General John Pope.

Two weeks later, we docked at Okinawa for refueling and resupply, which enabled a five-hour shore leave that morphed into a rollicking bar hopping good time.

Out at sea late that night, a surprise roll call was conducted as we learned a soldier was seen by our Military Police stealing food from the ship’s galley

Those MP’s chased the young soldier to the top deck where he shockingly jumped the rail into the dark Pacific Ocean, never to be seen again.

Blistering Heat and Humidity
Once in Vung Tau, South Vietnam in late January 1967, John and his troops boarded deuce and a half trucks and rushed bumper to bumper to Camp Bearcat where we established a base camp.

John W. Gerbing 4 Deuce Mortar

The extreme heat and humidity was a major factor while putting up tents, digging mortar trenches and filling what seemed like a million sandbags.

Bunker guard duty and patrols around Bearcat’s jungle perimeter was assigned to all units. It was serious business though combat action was light.

However, Alpha Company’s Sergeant Benito Alaniz on bunker guard duty was killed by a Viet Cong sniper one night. No sooner than completing our base camp, we relocated to our new base camp, Dong Tam, down in the Mekong Delta and an abundance of Viet Cong activity was soon encountered.

John and his mortar team were always counted on to support infantry patrols in the Delta’s hamlets, jungles, rice paddies, and swamps while seeking to eradicate communist guerilla fighters.

Search and Destroy
Our first significant fire fight occurred on May 15 after enduring numerous grueling “search and destroy” operations.

Charlie Company’s 1^st Platoon was caught in the open and took a number of casualties including one soldier, Donald Peterson, who was killed in action.

John W. Gerbing Viet Cong Suspects

Meanwhile, Charlie Company’s other platoons rallied to support our pinned down troops while John’s mortar team hurriedly fired their four-deuce mortars in support. At the end of the day, the Viet Cong lost over 90 fighters.

A month later, our 4^th/47^th encountered a much larger Viet Cong force hunkered in heavily fortified bunkers while we crossed open rice paddies. Alpha Company, the company John transferred from, suffered 32 men killed and nearly all else of their 120 man unit were wounded.

John’s good friend, Medic Noel T. West, lost his life that fateful day and to this day, John remains eternally gratified that he convinced him to transfer.

During that ferocious battle, our Battalion lost 47 men while 255 Viet Cong lay scattered everywhere. A month later, the 4^th/47^th experienced another significant fire fight and endured more killed and wounded in action. The year 1967 proved an extremely dangerous and costly year.

Honorable Discharge

John W. Gerbing Wedding Photo

John departed Vietnam in January 1968 and was honorably discharged on May 16, 1968. He returned home with a longing to marry his beautiful sweetheart, Patricia, but first a job was required.

Pat worked for Pacific Bell and John managed to land a job there as well so he suggested, “Why don’t we just get married.” And so they did. On April 25, 1970, the two were married at Hollywood Presbyterian Church.

Before moving to Canyon Country in 1980, their son Robert was born in 1970 and daughter Kimberley was born in 1975.

After 41 years, John retired from Pacific Bell having fully achieved his American dream. These days, John loves wood working, building balsa wood airplanes, visiting his family and driving his brand new Cadillac.

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