Any former Marines here who've watched "Full Metal Jacket"?

[brentspeak]

I'm wondering how accurately the first half of "Full Metal Jacket" reflects real boot-camp life. Do the drill instructors really work so hard programming recruits with the "kill!kill!kill!" mentality, or was that an exaggeration on Kubrick's part?

[tcfrogs]

1. I'm not a Marine, but I've heard R. Lee Ermey a number of times

He's a former marine, and said it was pretty damn realistic.

So, you have my second-hand knowledge, which is all I can provide.

[lazarus]

2. My best friend in high school

was an honour grad in Marine boot camp.

He's told me the only thing that's changed is that instructors can't hit you. Otherwise, it's very accurate.

[Rick Myers]

3. One of my best friends severed in the Marines in the Gulf

under Bush the Elder, and he absolutely LOVES that movie. While it might not be QUITE that firm now, it was during Vietnam. And R. Lee Armey is the REAL DEAL. He was a DI Gunny!!!

[GingerSnaps]

4. "Hey soldier boy do you want number one f.cky"

Sorry I had to respond because I love Full Metal Jacket.

[eauclaireliberal]

9. RE: FMJ

"...you had best un-fuck yourself or I will unscrew your head and shit down your NECK!"

[DS1]

5. Actually, except for the hitting, FMJ is pretty friggin tame compared

to the real thing. There's not one but three (and sometimes four) DI's to a platoon, and they are all much more active than FMJ.

and the hitting does take place, but the kids that get beat are so fucked up we all kinda cheered on the inside

[brentspeak]

12. Now I understand the age requirement for the Marine Corps

Only recruits younger than 27 allowed to join the Corps. Most older recruits would never allow themselves to be yelled at so much.

[DS1]

13. True. Not sure it's 27, but its there, there was a 32 year old on a

waiver however.

I know I'd take a completely different approach at 31

[Amaya]

28. Didn't know you were in the marines?

[DS1]

32. Keyword "was"

:-)

[Howardx]

6. we need to keep our heads till this peace craze blows over

so many classic lines in that one.

[brentspeak]

10. Singing "Happy Birthday, dear Jesus!" on Christmas -- surreal (n/t)

[Mizmoon]

36. We are here to help the Vietnamese

because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out.

So totally twisted. I love it.

[Catch22Dem]

7. You also have to remember the difference...

between training draftees for immediate service in Vietnam, and training professional Marines today. Huge difference.

[arwalden]

8. This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine....

My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my rifle and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of my enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

[roguevalley]

11. my uncle laughs at him because he's so real, so true. I love him in that

movie and always watch it until he gets shot. R Lee is amazing. Love him.

[arwalden]

16. "You are the lowest form of life on Earth."

You are not even human-fucking-beings.
You are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian shit.
Because I am hard you will not like me.
But the more you hate me the more you will learn.
I am hard but I am fair.
There is no racial bigotry here.
I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers.
Here you are all equally worthless.
And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps.
Do you maggots understand that?

[Wapsie B]

31. "BULLSHIT,

I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"

[Joe Chi Minh]

14. In the UK artillery

you're taught not to use the word gun in relation to small arms, with the following ditty (accompanied by appropriate pointing with finger at rifle and then metaphorical "weapon":
"This my rifle, this my gun; this is for fighting, this is for fun".

[henslee]

15. Does this mean Ann Margaret won't be entertaining the troops, sir?

[avb7]

17. Parris Island Class of '68...

When I saw Full Metal Jacket for the first time I started sweating bullets. I was called some of the very same names that they used in the movie and it was very real. The DI's were a lot more physical then they showed and they didn't show that there were three of them on your ass all day from dawn to dusk. I still get a little chill whenever I see that movie.

[Wcross]

18. Its been 20 years- but my time on the island was worse.

They did as good a job as they could on film. The squad bay WAS a Parris Island squad bay. When I was there- 1982 platoon 1010 SSgt Dean (or God in my eyes) was my DI. I can still remember the three assistant DI's Sgt Suniga (recon marine and one tough son of a bitch), Sgt Gonzalez (another tough son of a bitch) and SGT Gibbs (The toughest son of a bitch to walk the planet)

As far as the hitting goes- they aren't SUPPOSED to hit you. I got whupped up on twice. First time was after being denied use of the head (bathroom) for over two days we had a morning run (5 miles) and I had to relieve my bowels. Rather than taking a shower I tried to go. I had just finished and here comes Sgt Gibbs. He lifted me off the head with one hand and gut punched me with the other. (I weighed in at 200 pounds at the time).
Another time at the hand grenade range we got the opportunity to throw a practice grenade b-4 we threw the real ones. The guy ahead of me milked it and the practice round went off in his hand. I saw that and got concerned. When we got to the range I didn't hold it at all after I pulled the pin- I disobeyed the commands and just threw it as fast as I could. I got a hell of a beating for that but it was worth it in my eyes.

Yes, it was all KILL,KILL,KILL. They have been training Marines for over two hundred years and they have it down to an art. I think if anything the boot camp scenes were underdone.

[Spirochete]

19. Ronald Lee Ermey

actually was a drill instructor. He was originally hired as a consultant, but they decided to just give him the part. So I guess it's pretty authentic. Although, some marines I've talked to said some of the real Parris Island DI's could make FMJ's Sgt. Hartman look like Mr. Rogers in comparison.

[DS1]

22. Some trivia regarding that

He doesn't blink once in the entire movie.

[St. Jarvitude]

41. From the IMDB Trivia Page:

" performed a demonstration on videotape in which he yelled obscene insults and abuse for fifteen minutes without stopping, repeating himself, or even flinching - despite being continuously pelted with tennis balls and oranges."

Holy fucking shit.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093058/trivia

[DS1]

42. That's what I call focus!

LOL

[Bunny]

20. My ex-SO was a Marine and did a tour in Nam.

He says it's REAL accurate.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

21. DI's used to be able to hit the recruits. There was some point at which

that became forbidden, I want to say it was in the 1960s but I'm not sure.

As with all changes like that involving big, old, organizations, I'm sure there some "unfortunate incidents" that spurred the change.

[VOX]

23. Remember that you had WWII vets training recruits/draftees for Vietnam...

These were guys who had experience some of the absolute worst living nightmares that humanity has to offer. Post-traumatic stress disorder was an unknown quantity back then, but you know that this generation had more than its fair share of demons to carry around.

If you go back and read 1960s newspaper accounts, you will find numerous documented incidents of beatings and torture in boot camps.

http://www.nationarchive.com/Summaries/v216i0016_07.htm
Selection from Full Text:
...Like a number of prisoners there in the late 1960s, he was beaten and hanged by his wrists on a fence for long periods of tune., He developed severe psychological problems and went AWOL to Canada...
...At boot camp, Archie was continually beaten and abused because drill sergeants thought he was faking when he passed out...

[Kenneth ken]

24. my own personal thoughts:

I would hate to be a marine in boot camp after having seen that film. I would get the snot beat out of me.

The first time in real life a DI started in with that sumbags and maggots rap, I would not be able to help seeing it as a parody of the DI in the film, and I know I would crack up laughing.

For certain I'd be both Joker (gut-punched) and Pyle (choked) on the first day.

I wonder how many times I'd get beat for laughing before they finally beat the parody connection out of me. :shrug:

[avb7]

25. Quickly.............

[Kenneth ken]

29. maybe

but the pain goes away, so I'm pretty sure it would happen more than once.

[enfield collector]

26. "How can you shoot women and children?"

"It's easy, you just don't lead them as much."

[Wcross]

27. My favorite line from the movie! n/t

[Kire]

30. Vincent D'Onofrio's first great role

His father was my drama teacher in High School. I'm always telling people that.

[Mizmoon]

37. Anyone who runs is V.C.

Anyone who stands still is well-disciplined V.C.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

33. I was a Hospital Corpsman with the Marine Corps.... and even

though I went to Navy boot camp, that was very much real.

The lines are very authentic, in fact most of them come from memoirs and such.

And yes, the Marines are trained to kill, kill, kill. Always have been. that is their job.

[UTUSN]

34. I'm Not a Marine, But Movies Tork Me Off, Like "Apocalypse, Now"

Movies that have NO relation to my EXPERIENCE. Maybe to somebody's. Not mine.

[Mizmoon]

35. When I first saw it I didn't know what tai chi was

so it wasn't until years later that I realized THAT was what Martin Sheen was trying to do in his Saigon hotel room. Damn, he's lame at it.

[TroubleMan]

38. USMC 1992-2000..the movie's fairly accurate, and they could only hit you..

a little bit, and not in the face.

It really wasn't allowed for them to hit us, but in my platoon (1036 in 1st Battalion....you never forget), there were five instances of the DI's hitting us.

Twice it was me....LOL...but I admit I deserved one of them. The one I don't think I deserved knocked the wind out of me because I didn't expect it. However, it's better to take a punch than suffer for 3 or 4 hours of "pushing."

The one I deserved, I saw coming and didn't hurt at all...I braced for it, and it knocked me back a few feet, but I caught my balance, stayed at attention, and smiled right at him.....he liked that, so punishment over.

Trust me....it's much better to take a punch in the chest or stomach than to "push" for hours.

They never hit us in the face, except for one time on the stairs the Senior DI hit one guy in the face by accident....he meant to hit his chest. The dude was pissed but nobody told because our DI's were cool on other levels, and there was some pride involved. The feeling was, how are you supposed to claim you're some badass Marine if you can't take a punch.

[Blue_Tires]

39. someone PLEASE give Ermey

a belated best supporting actor nomination!!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

40. It's not exaggeration

my husband went through Army drill training in 1985 at Ft. Benning, Georgia to be infantry. Foot soldier. Front-line grunt. It was pretty brutal and yes, he said shit like that really does happen (well maybe not the drill instructor getting SHOT).

Husband did really well, one of those that just fits into the military culture really well (Army brat, too) but he saw other guys just about get the snot beaten out of them.