Best representation of USMC on TV.

[Osotogary]

In your opinion, which program or series, in the past or the present, best represents or represented the Marine Corps on commercial television?
Which program or series, in the past or the present, that wasn't specifically about the Marine Corps best represented the Marine Corps?

[sgt.lane]

Military Channel- on Marine Corps Boot Camp----they also had a series on Tank School from Camp Pendleton that was very good as well......

[USMC-FO]

The show on Marine Boot Camp that ran on "The Discovery Channel" orginally was a bit of a disappointment to me--To much with the women and not enough on the men. My all time fav there is, of course, FMJ' s first half....That WAS my experience ! But overall OK. There have been shows recently on the Military Channel that came out of the initial Iraq offensive that were pretty good--I just can't recall the names of them righ now. These were done by the imbedded reporters with the various units. There is a new documentary that is out and about--I have not seen it yet--that is supposed to be really good on Boot Camp. I think it is called "Ears open, Eyeballs, Click" I keep looking for it but it will, I suspect, show up and vanish in a wink.

As far as a show that was not specifically about Marines but one that I thought did OK to represent the Corps I would say "JAG"...of course Catherine Bell has no part in my considerations on the point...... Ya Ya that's the story .....

[airframesguru]

There was also a doc on the cold weather training.

[mrbsox]

I remember one episode of JAG, where he went under cover as a Marine Gunny, training some special ops. There were accusations about the units Capt. 'deviating from the training routine' and getting people hurt.

Yep, he was.
Yep, he got busted.
Yep, he took the rap because it was for the betterment of the team, and the Corps.
And he resigned his commission.

I took the jist of it to show that Marines, of ALL ranks, do what ever they feel is necessary to accomplish the mission, in OUTSTANDING fashion.
And if it gets them busted, then they STILL do the HONORABLE thing, and protect the Corps.

Semper Fi.

[RLeon]

"MAJOR DAD"... hehe

[rsta]

Way back in black and white TV days, there was a series on called "The Lieutenant", starring Gary ?. This was when I was in high school, but I remember tuning in to it every week. It was pre-Vietnam, so the program wasn't a war flick, but it dealt with everyday life in the Marine Corps. Of course, if I were to see it now it may not be as authentic as I remember it being. It was a very pro-Marine tv series.

RLeon, as for "Major Dad, you were probably just hot for "Gunny"!

[Nagalfar]

I think the old "Victory at Sea" has some of the best footage of fleet and combat.. it showed it like it was.. and I vote the first one who even mentions the name Gomer anything gets locked with the poolies for a month!

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by Nagalfar
I think the old "Victory at Sea" has some of the best footage of fleet and combat.. it showed it like it was.. and I vote the first one who even mentions the name Gomer anything gets locked with the poolies for a month!

Actually, there was another show in those days of B/W TV, other than 'Victory at Sea', the Show was called 'Uncommon Valor'. It was a documentry of the different Marine landings in the South Pacific, and the Marine actions in the Korean War. I used to sit next to my Dad, who was a Marine in the South Pacific for the duration of the War, when it came on, and from time to time, I would see a tear fall down his cheek (One of the two times I ever saw my Dad cry, the other was when he saw me in a bed at the Naval Hospital at St Albans, Queens), but, being 'Old Corps', he claimed it was just an eye irritation.

The other show I like is NCIS. I like the character 'Gibbs'.

As far as 'Gomer Pyle', I believe that show came on when I was in Boots Camp, and the DIs were not too impressed to say the least, and they told us so in no uncertain words. Please, don't lock me away with the Poolees for a month.

[Osotogary]

Gary Lockwood I believe was the actor in"the Lieutenant". I used to watch "Victory at Sea" all the time. To me, the musical score was top notch....along with the film footage.
The Army had a series called "The Big Picture" at about the same town.

[CHOPPER7199]

HEY,HOW COME NO MENTION OF "BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON" ? NO ONE REMEMBERS PAPPY?

[Toby M]

Gibbs on NCIS best represents the values of the Corps as far as a t.v. program goes. I have seen a lot of documentaries and specials as well that were pretty good. Mail Call come to mind...

[Osotogary]

The notorious Pappy Boyington or the notorious Bob Conrad?

[CHOPPER7199]

GARY, EITHER OR WAS GOOD. BUT THE PAPPY BOYINGTON. SURE HAD HIS TIMES.

[Tracker]

Are you gonna tell me you didn't like Gomer Pyle, come on now where is your sense of humor!!!

[radio relay]

At the Iwo Jima Memorial, on the Marine Crosp birthday, a couple years back. Everybody kept asking him to say "gollie", or were saying it to him. He was good natured about it, but didn't hear him say it.... Maybe he was afraid Sgt Carter, would smack him.

I actually couldn't stand the show. I think a bunch of writers who had been in the Army wrote the scripts. Calling a Gunnery Sergeant, "Sergeant"? They could have at least gotten terminology correct.

However, the uniforms were right on for the Vietnam era. Although, not one Marine in the show had Vietnam ribbons, and Vietnam was never mentioned at all. Early political corrrectness.

[RLeon]

Originally posted by rsta

RLeon, as for "Major Dad, you were probably just hot for "Gunny"!
Dang, you got me...that Gunny was HOT!:D
On a different note...Anyone see American Ninja 2(I think)...where the protagonist were two army guys posing as Marines??...That movie really makes me angry, it's got to be the worst representaion of Marines ever...

[seabag]

"Mail Call" on the History channel would get my vote. Although not specifically geared toward the USMC, the Gunny exudes pride for the Corps, and that's what we're all about!
He occasionally cracks me up as well!

What gets me ****ed is to see a "Marine" in a movie or tv show with sideburns and a sloppy uniform-thankfully this does'nt happen to much these days.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by seabag
"Mail Call" on the History channel would get my vote. Although not specifically geared toward the USMC, the Gunny exudes pride for the Corps, and that's what we're all about!
He occasionally cracks me up as well!

What gets me ****ed is to see a "Marine" in a movie or tv show with sideburns and a sloppy uniform-thankfully this does'nt happen to much these days.

In truth, I think that the Marines have a pretty heavy lobbying power on TV shows and Movies as to how a Marine should be dressed and his personal cleanliness when in uniform. Even Gunny Carter, from Gomer, was half way squared away when it came to his uniform, the pleats and the haircut and all that. It is rare that you will see a Marine on any series that is not up to standard, uniform wise, with exception of the haircut, and some facial hair, unless it is a really low budgeted show, Marines are pretty well the top of the line in Hollywood military portrayals, sort of sacrosanct.

[Sgt Ski 2/7]

The best I seen so far was a single episode of JAG called "Never Coming Home Alone" . It was about a Marine killed in Iraq and what the family goes through when the body comes home to be buried.It bought back alot of memories about a friend of mine who was killed during the Gulf War and what it was like to bury him. One of the best shows I have ever seen to put the feelings of being a Marine and the closeness felt among brothers..


SEMPER FI

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by Sgt Ski 2/7
The best I seen so far was a single episode of JAG called "Never Coming Home Alone" . It was about a Marine killed in Iraq and what the family goes through when the body comes home to be buried.It bought back alot of memories about a friend of mine who was killed during the Gulf War and what it was like to bury him. One of the best shows I have ever seen to put the feelings of being a Marine and the closeness felt among brothers..
SEMPER FI

Truthfully Shi, I never saw that episode of JAG, but is that the best representation of the Corps as you see it? You believe that the one aboration is the story of the Marines?

Tell me Ski, of the 24 Marines that were killed in the Gulf War, how many of them had problems with being buried by their families? Perhaps there is something here that we need to talk of as a group. What was your friend's name? And, What was the problem with his funeral?

[Sgt Ski 2/7]

Christian Porter with 3/7 there was no problem it was just all the feelings. I reminded me of the closeness and the brotherhood felt between Marines. Something that people on the outside have a hard time understanding. We all know the friendships that are formed in the Marines are some of the closest that you will ever find but when you spend every day digging foxholes guard duty 4 hour op watches than you becomes closer than some of your family members. And when that person is taken away from you by our own friendly fire incident and he is torn apart in front of you by a M1A1 round it is hard. Than you have to go home with the body and put on a brave face in front of the family it is hard.

The funeral was excellent in all Military tradition but sitting there as they bury your friend is hard on all your emotions. That is why I was saying that episode reminded me best about what it is to be a Marine. There are other great shows my favorite is Full Metal Jacket but since I was not even born in 69 I cannot say that best represents the time era......

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by Sgt Ski 2/7
Christian Porter with 3/7 there was no problem it was just all the feelings. I reminded me of the closeness and the brotherhood felt between Marines. Something that people on the outside have a hard time understanding. We all know the friendships that are formed in the Marines are some of the closest that you will ever find but when you spend every day digging foxholes guard duty 4 hour op watches than you becomes closer than some of your family members. And when that person is taken away from you by our own friendly fire incident and he is torn apart in front of you by a M1A1 round it is hard. Than you have to go home with the body and put on a brave face in front of the family it is hard.

The funeral was excellent in all Military tradition but sitting there as they bury your friend is hard on all your emotions. That is why I was saying that episode reminded me best about what it is to be a Marine. There are other great shows my favorite is Full Metal Jacket but since I was not even born in 69 I cannot say that best represents the time era......

In all honesty Ski, Friendly fire incidents are not so rare in any war. They happened in Vietnam, they happened in Korea, they happened in the Gulf War, and most recently, in the assault on Baghdad, it happened in Iraq, and in the case of the former defensive back, Pat Tillman, from the Arizona Cardinals, it happened in Afghanistan.

I would say a full 20% of the Marine's casualties in the assault on Baghdad happened due to one incident in Iraq when an Air Force Jet attacked US Marines on the supposed wrong side of a bridge during the assault. The fact remains, things have gotten much better than they were in the past, and without putting Global Positioning Chips into each serviceman, whereby even the enemy could find our troops by pressing a button, there is nothing that can be done about it. We had a saying for it in RVN, "$hit happens!" It is still the same for any warfare. When your number comes up, it does not matter if the munitions was made in China, Russia, the Czech Republic, or Dover NJ, you are dead all the same! It is the cause that matters and the mission that is most important. Warfare is not a safe place! It was never meant to be!!!

[Sgt Ski 2/7]

I understand fully about friendly fire incident but when you are involved in 2 of them in 48 hours you come to think of being jinxed. Luckily in the first one no one was killed only a Plt sgt was shot in the neck and a 60 gunner took out a saw gunner. The plt sgt was shot in the throat area and lived and the saw gunner was hit and the round tumbled down the barrel and went into his arm. it was between 2 plts in the same company and the second someone was killed. I understand the friendly fire incidents because I have been involved in them.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by Sgt Ski 2/7
I understand fully about friendly fire incident but when you are involved in 2 of them in 48 hours you come to think of being jinxed. Luckily in the first one no one was killed only a Plt sgt was shot in the neck and a 60 gunner took out a saw gunner. The plt sgt was shot in the throat area and lived and the saw gunner was hit and the round tumbled down the barrel and went into his arm. it was between 2 plts in the same company and the second someone was killed. I understand the friendly fire incidents because I have been involved in them.

And... We are talking about the best trained, and most disciplined combat troops in the world! What is your point? Like I said, $hit happens!

Fiendly fire is just one additional way of coming up dead in combat. We had a Machinegunner named Hogan, when his watch was done, he fell asleep with a replacement A-Gunner on watch with the gun. Hogan rolled over in his sleep, and the sound startled the replacement, who turned the gun and fired into him. Hogan, being a tough Irish Lad, lived with 20 holes in him, and in the morning, he was transfered out to the Philippine Islands.

I saw him the next day at Clark AFB, because I was wounded the next day while on Operation Texas. He was still alive then, but I often wondered about him all these years!

I recently joined my Company Assoication (Kilo 3/7), and Hogan's name was not on the list of those Killed, but I received a list of my former Company Marines sometime later, and I was surprised to find that he lives to this day in Canastota, NY. Like I said, one tough Irish Lad, but also, like I said, if your number is not up, nothing can kill you!