thedrifter
05-22-06, 05:49 AM
Published on Sunday, May 21, 2006 <br />
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'Full Metal Jacket' star enjoying time with Marines <br />
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JACKSONVILLE, N.C. <br />
The Associated Press <br />
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When people meet retired Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, the first...
thedrifter
05-24-06, 06:34 AM
Posted on Wed, May. 24, 2006
'Full Metal Jacket' actor meets with fellow Marines
By Chris Mazzolini
The Daily News of Jacksonville (N.C.)
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - When people meet retired Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, the first thing they realize is his show-stopping turn as a Marine Corps drill instructor in the movie "Full Metal Jacket" wasn't an act.
Ermey stands outside New River Air Station's Staff NCO club, wearing tan and olive-green clothing - the closest he could come to a military uniform.
His military show on the History Channel, "Mail Call," has come to New River to tape a segment on the MV-22 Osprey. Between takes, Ermey is spending some time eating chow and chatting with Marines.
With his faded tattoos, graying flat-top and bushy eyebrows, Ermey looks like he's ripped from an era long passed.
In fact, he is.
Ermey was a Marine for 11 years (he spent a few months at New River in 1964) before an injury forced him to retire. He served as a drill instructor in San Diego, Calif., where he crafted the barking and taunting skills that he turned into fine drama in Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War film.
"I'm one of them," he said. "I've been with the Marine Corps for 45 years. They retired me in 1971, and I just kept showing up to work."
That street cred is his biggest appeal with today's Marines, many of whom were introduced to the Corps through his scene-chewing performance.
"The first time I saw ['Full Metal Jacket'] I was 10 years old," said Sgt. Shawn Ruble, who had Ermey sign his "Full Metal Jacket" DVD. "I've always had a thing for the military. I saw that and thought it was amazing."
Ermey now acts as the de-facto Marine Corps ambassador to pop culture.