The Gunner And The President’s Bags

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31345, 15 April 1967, Page 22

The Gunner And The President’s Bags

(Tt.Z. Fre<« Association)

AUCKLAND, April 13. On his return to New Zealand he found he was turned down for carrying President Johnson’s baggage because of dealings he had had with the police, a gunner told a district court martial at Papakura today. “I had done everything to the best of my ability in Vietnam,” he said.

“It gave me the feeling of being a second-class soldier who was good enough for some jobs but not good enough for others. I was very angry and upset over the whole thing.”

He had decided that he could be more gainfully employed than in the Army.

The gunner told the court martial that he was provoked into going absent without leave. Gunner Gary James Wright, of 161 Battery Depot, Royal New Zealand Artillery, pleaded not guilty to a charge that he absented himself from Papakura Military Camp without leave from October 20, 1966, for 111 days. The court, Major H. P. White, president, and Major F. A. Woollams and Captain D. A. Dawe, found him guilty and sentenced him to 90 days’ detention.

The sentence was passed subject to confirmation.

Wright said he was told to report for baggage party

duties for President Johnson at Wellington.

He had reported but had been told his name was not on the list

When he asked for an explanation he was asked if he had dealings with the police. He had said that he had, but had no convictions. Captain M. Jameson, defending officer, submitted that Wright felt that if he was good enough to fight for his country he was good enough to carry the President’s bags. Wright was found not guilty on a further charge of losing, by neglect war material issued to him. The prosecution gave no evidence on this charge.

Mr B. C. Woolsey, dvil administration officer at Papakura, gave evidence for the defence that Wright had not been paid deferred pay owing to him on his return from Vietnam after he had been back in New Zealand for over a month.

The cause of the delay was that Wright’s pay card had been mislaid at Army Headquarters.