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The Real Movie D.I.
April 25, 2018 Grunt.com Admin

The Real Movie D.I.

I remember seeing Full Metal Jacket with my first wife the third day of its release in Covina, Ca. We didn’t get there early enough so we were seated in the 4th or 5th row from the screen and the theater was packed. During the the bootcamp segment of the film, there was one other guy in theater aside from me that was laughing during R. Lee Ermey’s initial confrontations with Joker, snowball, cowboy and Lawrence. My wife nudged me and asked me “Was bootcamp really like that?” My reply was “Yup!” She asked me why I was laughing and I told her “It may of been scary at the time but since I lived it, I can laugh about it now.” You just can’t script a D.I. because I remember our D.I.’s, Sgt. Thymes (Plt. Commander), Sgt. Parrish, and Sgt. Brundage using a lot of the same language R. Lee Ermey used. Then one wife and 29 or so years later, my Grandson and I went to Brea Ca. to a police equipment store and met R. Lee Ermey in person. He was a friendly man and had a great admiration for first responders AND their Grandkids. Semper Fi, Gunny! You have earned your place in Heaven. OOhhhrrraaahhh! Daniel Miller, Plt. 3105, 3rd bn., RTR, San Diego, Ca. 9/74-12/74.
Filed in: Marine Corps Stories
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Comments

J.C. Wile - May 11, 2020

Semper fi do or die OORAH

J.C. Wile - May 11, 2020

My DIs were exactly like that. If they werent I wouldn’t be here today and I love them for it. I was also one of the smallest in my platoon. Would love to meet any of them today to say thank u for making a scrawny 17 year old into a man

Dave Lawrence - May 11, 2020

With the single exception of “Private Pyle” smuggling in live rounds from the firing line, the portrayal rings 100% true with me. I was slapped, punched – belay that: “thumped” – and (once) smacked so hard on the top of my head with a boot brush that I briefly blacked out. One of our Drill Instructors employed the novel physical punishment of choking Privates into brief unconsciousness with a length of rubber washing machine hose, also used to train us in the use of a garrote. And yet, this treatment was no more or less than I (and probably most of our platoon) had expected to receive, as the belief (possibly valid) was that it was better for a recruit to break during the physical abuse in boot camp than to break during the rigors of combat and cause the death of fellow Marines. I had, and have to this day, nothing but respect for those Drill Instructors who pushed us to make it through those 13 weeks and earn the title “Marine”.

C. Stoney Brook - May 11, 2020

Harry, I get it that FMJ was a movie, just like ‘Band of Brothers’, ‘The Pacific’, ‘Patton’, ‘Jarhead’, ‘Saving Ryan’s Privates’, ‘The Longest Day’, and ‘Sands of Iwo Jima’ were “just movies.” However, non-Marines don’t always understand the difference between Reality and the need to (over) dramatize events.Gunny Emery’s portrayal of a DI was not really how I remember by Drill Instructors nor how I’d want my sons to believe a professional Marine SNCO would ‘train’ recruits. Emery’s character wasn’t building men, he was a sadistic brute. He didn’t develop character, he instilled fear. The other characters were one-dimensional and unrealistic as combat Marines. We’re all entitled to opinions, even when they’re wrong.

Dan Miller - May 11, 2020

@MgySgt Jim Mackin — Thanks for the info. I started my Law Enforcement career at Orange County Sheriff Academy way back in ’86. I’ll have to go down and see Sgt. Brundage. Sgt. Brundage, If you read this it would be my pleasure to treat you to a BIG steak dinner sometime. You definitely changed my life from “160 lbs. of chewed bubble gum” to a squared away Marine.

Harry - May 11, 2020

Come On!! It was a freaken movie!! Did you ever hear the term “FICTION BASED ON FACT” lighten up man!! Did you ever watch MASH? Harry

MGySgt Jim Mackin - May 11, 2020

@ Daniel Miller — Looks like one of your Junior Drill Instructors, Ed “Smokey” Brundge is an old friend of mine…In fact, I put his younger brother in the Marines back in ’76 while I was on recruiting duty in Ed’s hometown…We were both stationed at Camp Pendleton in later years, and would get together for a round of golf from time to time until I retired in February of ’87…Ed retired several years later as a Master Gunz, and worked for the Orange County SO for a while before fully retiring a few years ago…Ed is still quite active, and lives in Oceanside, CA…FWIW, I just passed your letter along to him via email, so you might be hearing from him soon…Ya never know !!

MGySgt Jim Mackin - May 11, 2020

@ John Angelo — Hey there, Studley !! Have you ever heard of “Hollywood” ?? LOL !!!

jim angelo - May 11, 2020

I guess I’m one of the few that doesn’t appreciate Full Metal Jacket. To me, the real story of Marine Corps Boot Camp was “The D.I.” with Jack Webb. How was the recruit able to smuggle a full magazine back to the barracks??? Remember the saying, “Police Your Brass”. If the incident did happen ,, than somebody at the rifle range pulled a F.U.B.A.R.

Don Taylor - May 11, 2020

Met the Gunny at a 5K Mud run sponsored by the Marine Corps Reserve unit in Bakersfield Cal. several years ago. Being a former Marine and Scottish I had the honor of playing the Hymn on my Bagpipes at the start of the race.Prior to the start the Gunny let loose one of his blistering tirades (albeit sanitized) to the troops. The place went wild !! After the race the Gunny stuck around and was mobbed by admirerers. He signed my Pipes and said “I love Bagpipes, They’re warrior music !! ” Semper Fi Gunnery Sgt.

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