After one last dominating performance, a single military movie character stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Head and shoulders and campaign cover, that is.
Gunnery Sgt. Hartman took out Capt. John Miller (“Saving Private Ryan”) in the final round of Battle Bracket: Clash of Characters voting to claim the title of best fictional military movie or television character ever. R. Lee Ermey’s “Full Metal Jacket” DI wasn’t seriously challenged in any of his six contests.
It’s a run that’s tough to sum up in a single word, but Ermey himself might’ve done the trick.
“Oorah!” said the actor in an emailed statement to Military Times.
“Another victory for Gunnery Sergeant Hartman,” he continued. “First, I would like to thank my longtime fans. You have been loyal, and I thank you. I appreciate all of your support. Anything that I can do to honor our veterans and those who serve this great nation, I am always going to do.
“This victory feels pretty sweet, as I am a huge movie buff.”
Gunny Hartman racked up a little less than 69 percent of the vote in the final. Along with Hanks’ World War II captain, Hartman’s tournament hit list included characters portrayed by John Wayne, Mel Gibson, Humphrey Bogart, Robert Duvall and Clint Eastwood, in a first-round battle of the Gunnys — Hartman vs. Tom Highway (“Heartbreak Ridge”).
It’s not the first time Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 drama has taken top honors in our March polling. “Full Metal Jacket” was named the best military movie by the Military Times audience in 2015, taking down “Patton” in the final.
The role earned Ermey a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor and would lead to dozens more on-screen appearances and several off-screen ones, where he provided voices for characters in the “Toy Story” franchise, “The Simpsons” and other properties.
The Marine veteran (he was medically retired in 1971 and received an honorary promotion from staff sergeant to gunnery sergeant in 2002) now hosts Outdoor Channel’s ” GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey” and ” Military Makeover,” from the producers of Lifetime’s “Designing Spaces.”
He’s also written a book and established a million-strong Facebook following.
STORY ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE >>
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a lot of books and movies portray wars and military situations over all eras of time- My Uncle Ben – may he rest in peace- fought in World War 1 – a doughboy- was very quiet about France and what he was in the midst of- My cousin was in Photographic intelligence role- in Korean Conflict – had to be dropped off by sub- in the winter – and photograph military base on Big Diomede Island off coast of Alaska– Little Diomede was U S and Big Diomede was Russian— – with a boot Lieutenant= told the Lt. as they used a raft to row ashore- Sir- let me do the thinking and you will return alive to see another day! Naturally the Lt. froze under a tight situation- a patrol passed them and my cousin said freeze and be quiet! Naturally the Lt. opened fire against a larger force- Lt.hit- and my Cousin carried the wounded Lt. to the beach- and swam back to meet the sub- he got a bunch of medals for his service- wound up divorced and remarried- and could not assimilate back as a lot of us faced same problem. What am I trying to say- we have those who were Military- any branch of service- as all of us chosen few can relate to each other even us Vietnam Era Vets and the FNG’s from Afghanistan and Iraq– but a non military person giving off their views as armchair quarterbacks- are not respected by us. We are the Chosen- as we enlisted – and volunteered to do our fare share for our Country. I am proud to have served in the United States Marines and have faced adversity many times by family and friends in heated discussions over the years. Remember once sitting in a car outside a supermarket with my fiancee and my sister-in-law to be- and was verbally barraged by my fiancee’s sister about how the poor Indians were treated by the soldiers at Wounded Knee- I knew that this person was a bleeding heart liberal- and after almost 50 years you still have uncomfortable situations – now we have Syria- and a President who has a pair of B***s to speak out for Americans- Want our Boys to stay out of there- world a tinderbox- North Korea with the Kim Un Nitwit Jun? A year of Peace would be nice and less of our Brothers dying overseas. Peace I hope and a saner World too!
That show did a lot to inform the public of our little fraternity we had rules and as Marines we were expected to follow the rules,however that’s where the following stopped we were leaders in everything else we did . This because of any rule however, it was more like we were taught that the only acceptable out come in what we were doing was winning and win , she did !
My father, S/Sgt Roger D. Marsh always told me that Full Metal Jacket was the only movie ever to represent what it was like as a Marine recruit. He was a DI at MCRD, San Diego from 1964 to 1966. God Bless America and the USMC.
Mr.marsh, if you know what bastion(s) your dad worked it would be good to see. I was a recruit 1964 Feb thru June. He may have been my D I… L/Cpl H Young 2095xxx, RVN 65/66/69
The boot camp in Full Metal Jacket was exactly like my 1969 boot camp in San Diego except we lived in tents & quonset huts. I’ve told people so & they asked why was it that way & did it have to be that way. I told them I’m glad it was because as an 0331 with 3/7 & 3/5 it prepared me as much as it could for Nam. I’m sure it had a lot to do with me coming home alive from there also. I am eternally grateful to my drill instructors for doing what they could to make me a Marine & for preparing me for life even after I left the Marine Corps. I have faced some tough times after leaving the Marines & have weathered them all. It’s called life. Semper Fi to all my bothers & sisters!
Did anyone else notice that Gunny Hartman wore his PUC upside down?
Full Metal Jacket has always been my all time favorite. I went through MCRD-SD and found my way on yellow foot steps in Oct. 64. Yep, Quonset huts and ice plants. I purchased Full Metal Jacket dvd for my file. Love to watch Lee Eremy but few know that his home town is also mine. Emporia, KS I got his autograph on my 3rd Mar Div cover when he came back for a dedication. Semper Fi brothers. Clark Allemang 3/4 H&S, S-3 65-66
I enlisted in 08/69 and went through MCRD in San Diego, and we were house in quonset huts, not barracks like the movie. I thought Full Metal Jacket was the best movie, because it takes you from boot camp to the battle field. All the war movies start off in the battle field. From my own personal experience we did have a Gunnery Hatrman, and he was no actor but twice as tough. MCRD was a very rude awaking not meant for everyone. Proud to have served. SEMPER-Fi.
What I did not like about the movie was when the D.I.gets shot.Every Marine knows that there is no way you can sneak ammo off the rifle range.Every round gets counted and no one leaves the range until every round is accounted for.I remember 2 rounds not accounted for and the wait we had until every round was accounted for
You may not find it documented. Plt 146 MCRD PI May to Aug 1956. Early in the morning on qualification day a recruit put the muzzle of an M-1 rifle muzzle in his mouth and blew his brains out. The whole platoon qualified anyway. I was one of those recruits. God Bless the United States Marine Corps. SEMPER FI
That also bothered me.
Full Metal Jacket is the best boot camp movie ever! When I first watched it, I laughed until my jaw hurt. The reality of MCRD, San Diego jumped off the screen at me. Only a Marine can fully understand this reality … and the pride we all have in completing that three month period of our lives. In my book, “EXCITEMENT! Shot At And Missed” (Tate Publishing), the remembrances of my brother, Sgt. Ken Lonn, and the Marines of F-2-5 in Korea, 1951, the first two chapters are devoted to boot camp in 1949. His tales of his time at MCRD in 1949 are almost identical to mine in 1964. Here’s an excerpt: [So, what is so ‘special’ about MCRD, and the personal sense of pride, anyway? And why do impressionable young people choose the Marine Corps?
There is a mystique about Marines. Ken joined because he wanted to be a Marine. I joined because I wanted to be a Marine – like my brother. The reasons for joining the Marine Corps are too numerous to even try to explain. But the bottom line is this: all who make it through to the end are transformed, mentally and physically, into United States Marines! Ask the parent of a new Marine what they think of the transformation that has taken place, and the inevitable response will be something as simple as, “Wow!”
Each day at MCRD seemed like a re-incarnation of the previous day’s screaming and yelling from the frothing mouths of the DIs. There seemed to be no other rationale then the realization that we were continually treated like crap by those maniacs.
“As I said before,” Ken confessed, “there were many times when I wondered, but didn’t speak openly, of course; ‘How could any normal human being treat other people so shabbily, so crappy? Prison would probably be better then this! Is there no dignity left in the world?” He laughed. “But, of course, the screaming, the shouting, the shoving and the absolute, iron-fisted discipline is just a part of the program. And of course, it works!”] Chapter 2, page 30 Semper Fi to all who have traversed the sand pits of SD and PI! Look up the book on the net at Tate Publishing. I think you’ll like it!
We had one steal a round also plt 126 1956
Gunny was doing promos for Glock when he came to Rome, GA. He attended our Marine Corps League meeting and it was my honor to meet him. Got his autograph and five minutes of “face time”. “Good night Gunny, whereever you are”.
Thank you gunnery Sgt ermy for your service in the marine corps. Full metal jacket is one of my favorite movies.
When people ask me what boot camp was like I have to shake my head and tell’em you wouldn’t believe nor understand it. So watch the first half of Full Metal Jacket; that’s boot camp. Enough said. Why bother explaining it to a non-Marine? Tell the non-Marine a couple of funny stories and call it good. Semper Fi bob
Lee Ermey did at least as good of a job in the movie “Firebase Gloria”, another outstanding movie. I loved both movies. Loved the boot camp part of Full Metal Jacket as it reminded me very much of my time at MCRD SD in 1969. Regarding movies doing right by the Corps, I think the mini-series “The Pacific” was also outstanding. Semper Fi, brothers and sisters -Cpl. Dickerson
This may be scuttlebutt, but in the dim recesses of my memory, I seem to recall that Hqs. USMC would not allow Stanley Kubrick permission to film the recruit training sequences at either Parris Island or San Diego MCRDs. The sequences were supposedly filmed in a military barracks in England. I guess the filming at either training base would have been too disruptive. Can anyone corroberate (sp?) this?
that is an affirmative and if you notice the deck is painted red which the british do in their installations
Arrived at Parris Island 7/12/56. A recruit killed himself at the rifle range about that time. Had a Marine in 8th Motors at Camp Geiger who was in this boot’s platoon, he policed the firing line with this recruit who found a live round and killed himself with that round. S/Sgt Femmster was the best D.I. of the Marines assigned to train platoon 221, he made Marines.Cpl.Rowe 61 years later.Semper Fi