by Cpl. Robert L. Cook
Jan. 42~Sept. 45
I remember Sergeant Brown,
Top Kick when I was around;
He stood about six-foot-three,
And weighed somewhat more than me.
He was there where it all began,
At a place that they called "Pearl."
He'd made a stand, this fighting man,
From the deck of a ship of battle.
He'd manned a gun, his only one,
And made it fiercely rattle.
They say he was just a Pfc.,
A long way from the top.
He stood his ground,
He was duty bound,
He don't know when to stop.
Well, he got himself a battle star,
And they told him he'd go far
In service of his nation.
So, he showed his stuff
When the going got rough,
He was right there among 'em.
He moved up fast
From Private First Class
From corporal to sergeant to gunny.
They thought of him first
When they needed a First
So they made him a "Top"
No longer a gunny.
They gave him a company,
An office, a staff.
He ran that outfit very first class,
The officers thought he was great.
So they got together
And voted on whether
To keep him right where he was.
Well, they made him a Warrant,
To keep him concurrent.
Where he will end up,
Lord only knows.
* * *
About the author: Robert Cook served with Reg. Weapons Co.(2d-2d) from 1942~44, at Guadalcanal & Tarawa, during a 33-month overseas tour.
