R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey, known professionally as R. Lee Ermey, is an American actor, best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He is a retired United States Marine Corps staff sergeant and an honorary gunnery sergeant; during his tenure in the U.S. Marine Corps, he served as a drill instructor...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSoldier
Date of Birth24 March 1944
CountryUnited States of America
R. Lee Ermey quotes about
The drill instructor must have total and complete control. Mindless obedience is what he's after.
Back in those days intimidation was the greatest tool the drill instructor had. Without that tool, he would not have had control.
The bad news motivated the drill instructors that much more.
I got to write most of everything I said.
It's been a pretty fun ride, to tell you the truth.
The biggest problem was the politicians knew nothing about fighting a war.
I disagree with a lot of those changes, however at the end of the day - I go down to recruit graduation at least once or twice a year.
Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.
This is for fighting, this is for fun.
That's all I cared about too, was getting it right.
Communications are better now than in my Vietnam days.
We had times in '66 and '67 when we would pick up a platoon of privates out of the receiving barracks the week before we even graduated the platoon that we were on!
I got space from Travis Air Force Base, went back to the Philippine Islands and made it a point to meet the only American casting director in the Philippines. I was off and running.
You'd be surprised how many kids and young people come to the website and send me email that they are actually going into the Marine Corp because of something that I said or did.