________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
Q:
Do you have any other things that we haven't asked you about, directly related to this
assignment?
A:
Well, that was the year we also had the towboat Sergeant Floyd motoring about our
waterways.
Q:
Okay.
A:
It was part of the bicentennial celebration. It was certainly a good time. The Corps won the
Silver Anvil award for the Sergeant Floyd, which carried Corps exhibitions from inland port
to inland port.
Q:
This is a little different than some of the questions we've asked from your other assignments,
but could you take a few minutes to give an assessment of General Gribble as Chief?
A:
Yes. General Gribble was the epitome of a person, in my estimation, who had very quick
capability to understand what was going on. He was truly a nice person who dealt with
people in a most personal manner. It was not that he wasn't tough--and he had a toughness
that was as tough as anybody--but his way of dealing with people was personable. He was
not one to be out talking up something, not an external kind of person, but a more internal,
get to the heart of the matter, interact with those needed, show them we're together, get the
job done, solid type of person. He was very well respected in the previous position he held as
Chief of Research and Development for the Army.
He had an interactive spirit with people on the Army Staff, the Chief of Staff and the Vice
Chief of Staff, during that time. He would call them and dialogue things.
He was a quick learner, one who quickly received information and could hand back guidance
or counsel to General Graves or someone else as to what the situation was or how it was
developing.
I enjoyed very much working for him in the Chicago District. Although he was at division
headquarters, we were both in the same town, Chicago. I didn't see him often. I enjoyed very
much coming back to work for him my years in Public Affairs.
I had a personal relationship with him and I saw him as my mentor. From the time in
Chicago that I first met him, I respected him. I was a captain and enjoyed working for him. I
didn't have too many interactions with him, but I saw him as a person I could approach and
talk with.
There were occasions after Chicago that I would call him at home and ask him about things.
He was always very forthright, down to earth, and helpful. One example of that--I believe I
covered this earlier--was when I was at Fort Leavenworth and Ernie Edgar came out and
told me I was going to Vietnam for my next assignment and would go to battalion command.
That was the good news. Then he said this same afternoon I'd get a letter from General
Harold K. Johnson, the Chief of Staff, saying that the Army had set up this new province
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