R.Lee Ermey & Other Soldiers: A collection of Military History

By Steve Adonis

The Marine Sergeant made famous in FULL METAL JACKET 
Growing up, Ermey was known as a mischievous teenager. This behavior continued to progress as he got further into his teenage years. He was frequently in trouble with the law, arrested twice by the time he had turned 17. He was charged with criminal mischief both times, and the judge then gave him an ultimatum -- Go to jail or join the military. He was allowed to choose which branch. 

This was the start of Ermey's dedicated 11-year service to the United States. It was 1961, and 17-year-old Ermey chose to enlist in the Marine Corps. His recruit training took place in San Diego, California, allowing him to travel down the coast and gain new experiences. It was during this time that he worked in the aviation support field. A few years passed by, and then he became a drill instructor in India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. This position lasted from 1965-1967. 

The path could've been very different for Ermey. He later admitted that the day he joined the Marine Corps, he didn't know anything about them, but simply saw a cardboard cutout for the Marines as he was leaving a Navy recruitment office. It was a random draw, because his first selection didn't work out for him. His father, John Edward, grew up in the Navy, so it was in his nature to follow suit. However, because of Ermey's troubling past, he was not accepted into the Navy. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Poche
• Release date: Jun 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201550165

Book preview

R.LEE ERMEY & OTHER SOLDIERS

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STEVE ADONIS

table of contents

R. LEE ERMEY

ROCKY VERSACE

ROY BENAVIDEZ

CARLOS HATHCOCK

DON STEINBRUNNER

GORDON & SHUGHART

BOB KALSU

AARON BANK

PAT TILLMAN

MELVIN MORRIS

DAVID DOLBY

R.LEE ERMEY

Born on March 24, 1944, Ronald Lee Ermey was one of six boys. His parents, John Edward and Betty, raised the children on a farm located in rural Emporia, Kansas. This was about 18 miles away from Kansas City, just west. His memories were rich with experiences that were shared on this family farm. The boys, only one year apart each, would take care of the land and hunt together with their grandfather’s guns.

I used to hunt my way to the bus stop on the way to school every morning, Ermey revealed to The First Shot. He went on to reminisce about how he loved growing up the way that he did, and that life was pretty good to him when he was a child. I would stash my my gear, my game and and shotgun in a culvert, get on the bus and then hunt my way back home after school, he shared.

By the age of 14, Ermey moved to Zillah, Washington with his family. After they left their farm, the Kansas Speedway was then built on top of it, the parking lot, to be exact. Before his death, Ermey discovered this because he had returned to the family farm with the intention of buying it. He said that it was quite the shock to be met with the asphalt instead.

How He Got His Start

Growing up, he was known as a mischievous teenager. This behavior continued to progress as he got further into his teenage years. He was frequently in trouble with the law, arrested twice by the time he had turned 17. He was charged with criminal mischief both times, and the judge then gave him an ultimatum—Go to jail or join the military. He was allowed to choose which branch.

This was the start of Ermey’s dedicated 11-year service to the United States. It was 1961, and 17-year-old Ermey chose to enlist in the Marine Corps. His recruit training took place in San Diego, California, allowing him to travel down the coast and gain new experiences. It was during this time that he worked in the aviation support field. A few years passed by, and then he became a drill instructor in India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. This position lasted from 1965-1967.

The path could’ve been very different for Ermey. He later admitted that the day he joined the Marine Corps, he didn’t know anything about them, but simply saw a cardboard cutout for the Marines as he was leaving a Navy recruitment office. It was a random draw, because his first selection didn’t work out for him. His father, John Edward,  grew up in the Navy, so it was in his nature to follow suit. However, because of Ermey’s troubling past, he was not accepted into the Navy.

Living Life As a Marine

Despite his odds, his career in the Marines began to flourish. Growing older and seeing even more of the world, Ermey left the United States to serve in Marine Wing Support Group 17. The station was located in Okinawa, Japan. The group was made up of two squadrons, and its mission to provide 1st Marine Aircraft Wing with ground support. They actively participated in the Vietnam War.

By 1968, Ermey was ordered to South Vietnam for 14 months. MWSG17 spent time there until He ultimately finished the rest of his service in Okinawa. This was when his career began to slow down. He was promoted to staff sergeant, but his various injuries obtained on the field led him to medical retirement by 1972. This is something that Ermey chose not to frequently revisit with the public, comparing the experience to someone experiencing trauma with no use in bringing it to the surface to re-traumatize.

Not very sure on what to do next as a civilian, Ermey admitted to Entertainment Weekly in a 1997 interview that he purchased a run-down bar. This establishment in Okinawa not only served as a place to drink, but it was also known for its prostitution. These days were short-lived for Ermey, because soon enough, the Japanese FBI were on his tail. He decided to give up this lifestyle for something more stable.

Soldier Turned Actor

As the next chapter of his life unfolded, Ermey decided to move to the Philippines to take on a new role—Student. He studied at the University of Manila as a Criminology and Drama major. During this time, he met his first wife, Dolores M. Janshen. Ermey’s life at this time was bustling, yet still remained private. Little details are known to the public, most not even knowing exactly when or how they first met. But they wed, and they had 2 little girls together. The marriage was only temporary; Ermey and Janshen divorced on March 28, 1969.

Romance blossomed again in 1975 when Ermey married his wife, Nila. She was his wife until the day that Ermey passed away. They had 4 kids together, 3 daughters and 1 son. Even though their 43-year marriage was likely filled with many notable chapters, it was kept relatively private to the public, just as his first marriage had been.

Ermey met a lot of connections in the film industry due to his major in Drama. This began an acting career for the skillful former soldier.  He was cast in several Filipino films while he was still attending school. 1979 was a big break for Ermey; he was cast as a helicopter pilot in Apocalypse Now (by Francis Ford Coppola). Because he had valuable experience in Vietnam, Coppola also assigned Ermey a technical advisor role on the film. He doubled as playing Eagle Thrust Seven while ensuring that the film’s authenticity was accurate. His next major role to follow was on the film The Boys in Company C (Sidney J. Furrie). Ermey played a character who was a Marine drill instructor, which was easy for him to channel due to his past.

Full Metal Jacket: The Life-Changing Role

Over the years, his acting career continued on a stable path, playing roles in various films. Then, in 1987, Full Metal Jacket was released. This made his career skyrocket. Ermey’s role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is one of his most well-known of all time. Director Stanley Kubrick initially wanted to only hire Ermey to serve as a technical advisor. As a part of his advisor job duties, Ermey put together an instructional tape that depicted his views on several extras. He expressed his opinions on discipline and honor. This tirade landed him the role of a lifetime.

It is little known that Ermey had actually already accepted a job at a nuclear power plant before he was offered the role on Full Metal Jacket. The power plant was under construction, and expected to thrive. Ermey recounted to The New York Times that he had given up a great job that offered him more money to see where acting could take him in life. Had he not chosen to give up this job to take a chance on acting, his life would have turned out much differently

Playing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman was not a far stretch from who Ermey was as a person. He got the chance to showcase his skills earned from real-life experiences in the Marine Corps. Kubrick wanted to let Ermey shine; he allowed for him to write and edit all of his own dialogue. He also let Ermey improvise on the set. This was something that was very rare for a Kubrick film, but it felt right to allow it to progress in an organic way.

During the filming of one of the scenes in the movie, Ermey got into a car accident involving a Jeep. He ended up skidding off the road at around 1AM, breaking all of his ribs on one side. He flashed his headlights until someone was able to help him, but he refused to take a break in the filming of Full Metal Jacket. Some will notice that, in the movie, Ermey is not able to move his left arm. His resilience allowed him to push forward when most would’ve likely needed to be on bed rest for some time.

After the movie had wrapped, Kubrick revealed that Ermey was so focused, it often took him no more than two or three takes to close out each scene. This was another notable, rare feature for a Kubrick film. Ermey challenged the way that Kubrick directed, but it all worked out for everyone’s benefit in the end. This performance earned Ermey a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Other Important Roles: Film and Television

After this impressive performance, Ermey was cast to star as a drill instructor in the pilot episode of a tv show called Space: Above and Beyond. Another similar role, he appeared in the film The Frighteners as the ghost of a drill instructor. These were both roles that were comparable to his character, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, from Full Metal Jacket. Because his original performance was so acclaimed, he was often cast in roles that paid homage to this. 

Subsequent to all of this, Ermey appeared in, an impressive, 60 different films throughout his career as an actor. Some of his best known titles include: Toy Soldiers, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dead Man Walking, The Siege of Firebase Gloria, Purple Hearts, Se7en, Mississippi Burning, The Salton Sea, Saving Silverman, Leaving Las Vegas, Fletch, and Willard.

A role that was different from most of the rest, Ermey was able to develop as an actor on the set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He appeared in two different films of the franchise, one in 2003 and one in 2006. Straying from his decorated military roles, Ermey was given the chance to play a sinister villain. Another role where Ermey was able to break away from his norm was the one he played in Leaving Las Vegas (1995). His character was a conventioneer.

Ermey was nearly given the opportunity to play the role of J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man (2003). Directors had their eyes on him, but ultimately, the role ended up being given to J.K. Simmons.

His acting did not stop at film roles; he also used his voice to become a voice actor in animated movies/series. Some of his work in voice acting was for cartoons such as The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Family Guy, Invader Zim, The Simpsons, Spongebob Squarepants, My Life as a Teenage Robot, and Kim Possible.

One of his most memorable voice acting roles came from playing Sarge in all three Toy Story Films. His character was the leader of the troop of plastic military men, and it was a favorite to children and adults alike. His loyalty to Woody, the main character, was an ode to his Full Metal Jacket character.

During his acting career, Ermey won two different awards. The first was in 1988 for Best Supporting Actor in Full Metal Jacket, something that plenty of people expected. It was from the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards. His next came from his performance in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). He won another Best Supporting Actor award from the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.

Going Back to His Roots

As his life progressed, his loyalty to the Marine Corps continued to be acknowledged. On May 17, 2002, General James L. Jones gave Ermey an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant. He was the only Marine to receive such a promotion after already being retired.  Ermey continued to visit the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego where he got his start, showcasing just how loyal he was. He also visited Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, located in Beaufort, South Carolina. His continued devotion to the Marine Corps always stood out.

Ermey’s role on television became permanent on August 4, 2002. The History Channel had him host the show Mail Call, a show that was focused on answering viewer questions regarding weaponry and other equipment. The show was not only interactive in this way, but also in the way that he would visit various locations during each episode. When he wasn’t traveling to different bases, his set was a replica of a military outpost. This continued for Ermey all the way into 2009.

The show was raw, but also full of humor. Ermey used his duty as host to both inform the viewers, and poke fun at them. When he wasn’t answering questions, he was testing the effectiveness of different weapons on various fruits and vegetables. The audience enjoyed how Ermey seemed to channel his past as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman as he hosted the show. This action was kept lighthearted, only ordering his viewers to come back in time before the commercials were over, for example. Another favorite for viewers was the regular appearance of a Bulldog on set; this was to honor the Marines, as it is symbolic and synonymous.

In June 2003, the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom was in full effect. Ermey traveled to Kuwait to film a special episode of Mail Call. This episode focused on mail distribution to the troops by the Defense Department. Because of Ermey’s extensive experience in both acting and as a Sergeant, he was able to give the viewers an up-close look at what was going on across the world, something that most would be incapable of offering on a television show.

Lock n’ Load with R. Lee Ermey was his next endeavor, never seeming to slow his motivated path of success. This was a documentary series that lasted from July 2009 to November 2009. Again, The History Channel was responsible for the series. It was another weapon-focused show that assigned each episode to a different system of weapons. He would present the pros and cons of each weapon, garnering help from experts along the way. Unable to escape his past film roles, Ermey would throw