thedrifter
12-06-05, 01:05 PM
Collier’s mates: ‘Jarhead’ is ‘bogus’
By Ryan Jeltema - Daily News staff writer
GREENVILLE — Two Marines who fought alongside Greenville native Troy Collier during the Persian Gulf War say the memoir “Jarhead” and a movie by the same title are basically fiction.
Anthony Swofford, a former Marine, wrote the book “Jarhead” about his experiences in the U.S. Marine Corps during the 1991 war. The novel was made into a movie that was released Nov. 14. Collier was a sniper spotter in Swofford’s unit who died in an automobile accident on Zahm Road while on leave in February 1992.
“Pretty much the movie was bogus,” said Nelson Fountain of Cork, Ireland, an assistant team leader in Collier’s unit. “It’s known in the Marine Corps as ‘Swofford’s Tale of Woe.’ He wasn’t a particularly good or knowledgeable Marine.”
Former Platoon Sgt. Duane Sieck of Bowersville, Ga., who served as a section leader for Collier’s sniper unit, said the book and movie accurately depict what Marines’ lives were like. However, he said most of the stories and scenes were false.
“I know there are parts that are not completely accurate,” Sieck said. “Some of the themes are correct. Whether all the scenes took place, I’d like to debate that with my guys.”
For example, he said Collier never was Swofford’s partner, as depicted in both the book and movie, and Swofford was only a spotter, not a sniper.
“He and Collier might have been best friends, but they weren’t a team in war,” Sieck said.
He also takes exception with several alleged mistruths that portray Sieck negatively, such as scenes showing him disengaged from the unit, a scene showing the unit stumbling upon the “highway of death” and a scene where Sieck allegedly forgot about Collier and Swofford on a mission, leaving them on the battlefield alone at the end of the war.
“I took that personally,” Sieck said. “Nobody forgot about them.”
Fountain said the book and movie are upsetting to him, especially since Swofford never consulted him or anyone else he knows from the unit before writing the book.
“I couldn’t sleep for a week, I was so irate,” Fountain said of his response after reading the book. “I was really, really mad.”
Sieck said he recognizes Swofford is protected by the First Amendment so he can write a story about whatever he chooses. But Sieck said “Jarhead” shouldn’t be represented as a factual account.
“When you read a book, you kind of accept it as factual,” he said. “I’m trying to understand why he did what he did. If he’s going for historical accuracy, he should have contacted some of us.”
“I just want some semblance of the truth printed,” Sieck added.
Collier’s mother, Diane Eldridge of Greenville, said the situation is just “awful.”
“This man needs to be throttled,” she said of Swofford.
Staff writer Ryan Jeltema can be reached at rjeltema@staffordgroup.com or (616) 754-9303 ext. 3039.
Ellie
By Ryan Jeltema - Daily News staff writer
GREENVILLE — Two Marines who fought alongside Greenville native Troy Collier during the Persian Gulf War say the memoir “Jarhead” and a movie by the same title are basically fiction.
Anthony Swofford, a former Marine, wrote the book “Jarhead” about his experiences in the U.S. Marine Corps during the 1991 war. The novel was made into a movie that was released Nov. 14. Collier was a sniper spotter in Swofford’s unit who died in an automobile accident on Zahm Road while on leave in February 1992.
“Pretty much the movie was bogus,” said Nelson Fountain of Cork, Ireland, an assistant team leader in Collier’s unit. “It’s known in the Marine Corps as ‘Swofford’s Tale of Woe.’ He wasn’t a particularly good or knowledgeable Marine.”
Former Platoon Sgt. Duane Sieck of Bowersville, Ga., who served as a section leader for Collier’s sniper unit, said the book and movie accurately depict what Marines’ lives were like. However, he said most of the stories and scenes were false.
“I know there are parts that are not completely accurate,” Sieck said. “Some of the themes are correct. Whether all the scenes took place, I’d like to debate that with my guys.”
For example, he said Collier never was Swofford’s partner, as depicted in both the book and movie, and Swofford was only a spotter, not a sniper.
“He and Collier might have been best friends, but they weren’t a team in war,” Sieck said.
He also takes exception with several alleged mistruths that portray Sieck negatively, such as scenes showing him disengaged from the unit, a scene showing the unit stumbling upon the “highway of death” and a scene where Sieck allegedly forgot about Collier and Swofford on a mission, leaving them on the battlefield alone at the end of the war.
“I took that personally,” Sieck said. “Nobody forgot about them.”
Fountain said the book and movie are upsetting to him, especially since Swofford never consulted him or anyone else he knows from the unit before writing the book.
“I couldn’t sleep for a week, I was so irate,” Fountain said of his response after reading the book. “I was really, really mad.”
Sieck said he recognizes Swofford is protected by the First Amendment so he can write a story about whatever he chooses. But Sieck said “Jarhead” shouldn’t be represented as a factual account.
“When you read a book, you kind of accept it as factual,” he said. “I’m trying to understand why he did what he did. If he’s going for historical accuracy, he should have contacted some of us.”
“I just want some semblance of the truth printed,” Sieck added.
Collier’s mother, Diane Eldridge of Greenville, said the situation is just “awful.”
“This man needs to be throttled,” she said of Swofford.
Staff writer Ryan Jeltema can be reached at rjeltema@staffordgroup.com or (616) 754-9303 ext. 3039.
Ellie