Master Gunnery Sergeant Gaines B. "Dude" Gilbert was a Marine Aviation Ordnanceman. Tough as nails, but as compassionate as a child. Stories about the Dude are many. My last memory was sitting beside his death bed in 1985-86, he was lying there looking at his Dress Blues hanging in his closet. With all his strength, he uttered to me as he nodded toward his blues "I'm gonna get that 10th one". Dude passed away just weeks shy of getting his 10th service stripe.
Dude Gilbert had a room named after him in the SNCO Club at MCAS Beaufort, S.C.
MSGT Jolley Watson, USMC Retired, gave the Eulogy at the Dude's funeral service at MCAS Beaufort. He told of a time when the Dude drove past a little league ball field one afternoon and noticed one of the teams didn't have uniforms. He asked one of the boys "where's your uniform son"? The boy replied, "we can't afford uniforms sir". The very next day, Top Gilbert showed up with uniforms and equipment for every boy on that team.
One time, Dude and Jolley Watson decided to go halves on some pigs. Jolley had a farm in Yemesee, S.S., and Dude said "I'll buy the pigs, you raise and feed them, and we'll split the profits". Jolley agreed and told Dude "we'll have to build a pen". So one weekend, the two of them were at Jolley's farm….Dude was holding a fence pole and Jolley was swinging the sledge hammer. Wouldn't you know it, one swing missed the pole and caught the Dude right square in the jaw. Dude didn't even say "ouch"….he just grabbed the sledge hammer and said "you hold the pole Jolley".
Dude Gilbert was the guy the troops could always go to between paydays when money was short. I remember asking to borrow a $20 until payday from the Dude. He opened his wallet and it was stuffed full of nothing but hundreds. He handed me a hundred and say pay me back when you can.
Well, payday rolled around and I asked Dude if I can give him $50 this payday and $50 next payday. He said "naw….you just pay me when you can…but I want it as a hundred…I don't want non of them fifty's cluttering up my wallet!!!
In 1972 I ran the Pistol Range at MCAS Beaufort as a Sergeant. One morning, as I was giving the infamous "Safety Lecture". There was one salty Staff Sergeant who didn't feel he needed to hear the safety lecture and wandered off while I was still talking. I called Top Gilbert and he said "I'll be right over". About 5 minutes later, that sky blue Cadillac convertable pulled up..top down. Top Gilbert walks up to me and asks me to point out the offender….I did and was waiting to hear him rip him a new one. Just then, Top says "go over on my car seat and bring me my Redman". I did and when I returned, the Staff Sergeant was leaving the range. Top said "you won't have any more trouble with him". Top was a true professional….he wouldn't chew out a senior man in front of me. God I miss him.
Other Comments:
Any members who have stories about the Dude, can email them to me and I'll put them on his profile. Also, if anyone knows of all is medals and badges, I can also add those.
Rumors about Top Gilbert ran rampant before he checked in as ordnance chief, Station Weapons, MCAS Beaufort in 1972. I had recently been promoted early to Sergeant (actually reenlisted for it). My OIC, Captain Chet Crossman was preparing us for Top Gilbert's arrival…and he sent me to NCO school at Parris Island the day I was promoted to Sergeant. When I returned from NCO School, Top Gilbert had already arrived. I introduced myself to him and informed him I would like to take the shop on a morning run through the magazine area. He was all for it. He of course declined to accompany us…he preferred to run after work in his bib-overalls and steel-toed boots. He ran like a bull….but back to my story. So I ran the troops on a 3 mile run complete with musical cadence. When we returned to the shop, I called the shop to "quick time"…and one of my sergeants named Frank Patrick dropped off the end of the formation to chat with Top Gilbert. I marched the formation a hundred yards down the road and turned them around to cool down. When I gave them "fall out"…I proceeded over to where the Top and Sergeant Patrick were chatting. I waited politely…for Top to leave and return to the shop. I then proceeded to express my displeasure with Sergeant Patrick leaving my formation before I gave the command. Unbeknownst to me…Top Gilbert was watching from inside the door to his office. Later in the day, he called me into his office and grinned and said "I liked the way you handled Patrick this morning". From that moment on…I could do NO wrong in the eyes of the Dude!
One time, I was at Dude's house with MSGT Freddie Furr and another SNCO (name escapes me). Anyway..finally I worked up the nerve to ask him….."Top….Rumor has it..you bit off a Major's ear in a fight. Is that true?"
He said "AWE that's HORSESHIT! It was a God damned Corporal and he had it comin"!
That's the kinda Marine Dude was. When he was finally told by HQMC that he had to retire at the 38 year mark, he went for his retirement physicial and they found cancer on his colan and liver. The doctor asked him what he wanted and he said "I wanna do 40 years doc". Doctor says "you're on medical hold". Now they had his retirement ceremony planned with dignitaries from all over the Corps, and Washington D.C. including President Ronald Reagan coming to Beaufort for Top's retirement. They went ahead with the ceremony, and Top just quietly worked a desk job at H&HS while he went for his treatments. He almost made that 40 year mark.