R. Lee Ermey : have my doubts about his military career

have my doubts about his military career

so he was born in 44 and was a boot camp drill instructor at 21? Doubtful.

Re: have my doubts about his military career

lol what are you trying to say, his official bio is a fabrication?
get real.


"Animals are beasts, but Men are Monsters..."

Re: have my doubts about his military career

i'd love you to say that to his face

No Justice Just Us

Re: have my doubts about his military career

I haven't served in the military but I'm guessing that even a 21 year old Marine is vastly different than an 18 year old recruit. Especially one that has possibly served in combat. Besides, due to his work in show business he obvious is a very charismatic person. That would have served him well as a drill instructor.

Re: have my doubts about his military career

I can say from personal experience that Drill Instructors do not rely overly on charisma. They rely more on speed, volume, intensity, intelligence, discipline, and a large measure of raw terror. They are possibly the most dedicated Marines in the Corps. You cannot imagine how much time and energy that any single team of Drill Instructors puts into training a single platoon of Marines. They work eighteen to twenty hours a day, seven days a week, for twelve straight weeks. If they're lucky and recruiting is slow, they might get a couple weeks break between platoons, but sometimes they go literally straight from graduation to meeting their next platoon of recruits the very same day.

And yes, a 21 year old Marine is very different from a 17-18 year old recruit. And I don't mean the fact that recruits are nothing but scum-sucking, grab-asstic pieces of amphibian *beep* A 21 year old Marine is already either preparing to return to civilian life, or he's awaiting word on the status of his reenlistment package.

When a loose cannon flogs a dead horse, there's the Devil to pay!

Re: have my doubts about his military career

Where did you read that he was ever a drill instructor? He was a staff sergeant when he left the marines and made an HONORARY gunny after the fact.

Re: have my doubts about his military career

Ermey spent eleven years in the Marine Corps, Two of which were spent as being a Drill Instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, India Company 3rd Recruit Training Battalion 1965-67, Arrived in Vietnam in 1968 spending 14 months attached to Marine Wing Support Group 17 and 2 tours in Okinawa. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was medically retired for injuries received. On May 17, 2002 he received an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) by Commandant James L. Jones, becoming the first retiree in the history of the Marines to be promoted.

http://rleeermey.com/about.php

Re: have my doubts about his military career


An 18 year old private just out of boot camp is vastly different than an 18 year old recruit!




What we have here is failure to communicate!

Re: have my doubts about his military career

Not sure why you're doubtful... DIs are typically young from my understanding. It makes sense when you think about what the position entails. Ermey's role in Full Metal Jacket was atypical, if that' what you're going by. He was cast because he had experience at it and was believable, but it was based on his experiences when he was younger. DIs generally are young.


My name is Neil and I'm here to say
waka chicka po waka poo pbttht!

Re: have my doubts about his military career

ARE YOU TRYING TO OFFEND ME?

Re: have my doubts about his military career

The day my son graduated at MCRD there were new recruits coming in. A lot of them, not knowing better, saluted him and he went along with it. Meanwhile I was busting up at how funny it looked and how scared they were compared to what he was 12 weeks earlier. When he came back from Iraq at 21 he was very diffent and more sure of himself and grown up. We also never let him forget that he had to go to Seattle to get into an earthquake which happened 5 minutes after he took his oath. We live in San Diego.

Re: have m
5b4
y doubts about his military career

I don't remember where I read it. But, he was rehearsing an early scene with the actors and being very realistic with how he talked with them. The producers were watching and were thoroughly aghast at what was going on. b68 They asked him if he was just being hammy and trying to pour it on to impress them. He told them he was just trying to be as realistic to get the actors ready for roll tape. They told him he had to tone it down a lot because he would not be believable in the final cut. He tried to argue the point. I guess they must have all looked at the dailies and told him he could not be so aggressive. So, he toned it down to make the producers happy. I think they were terrified of getting an "X" rating for violence.

Re: have my doubts about his military career

"Posted Oct 2, 2010 by unperson102 -- have my doubts about his military career -- so he was born in 44 and was a boot camp drill instructor at 21? Doubtful."

Not at all. When I was in Army basic training in '68, one of my drill sergeants was only 18. He hadn't been to Vietnam yet (if he ever went); h 111c e went from basic training and advanced individual training straight to the drill sergeant academy, then directly to a drill sergeant assignment at Fort Polk, Louisiana. I'm not sure how he arranged it, but he did. He was an arrogant little bully, but he was a bona fide Army drill sergeant at 18. So, a Marine D/I at 21 (especially during the Vietnam era) wouldn't have been doubtful at all.

Re: have my doubts about his military career

If he enlisted at 17 it's not impossible.
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