Boot Camp Leaves It's Mark

Posted March 25th, 2009 at 8:10 pm in Boot Camp

This second article in a two-story series, written for the St. Louis Post Dispatch Newspaper in March 1977 entitled; Boot Camp Leaves It's Mark, authored by my uncle SSgt USMC (deceased) Jack Rice set the tone early on in the opening paragraph, "The best-loved symbol of the United States Marine Corps is the Drill Instructor. The character-molding, father-substitiute, confessor-at-large DI." Every movie maker in Hollywood knows that, some better than others.

Uncle Jack was of the opinion that Jack Webb was the best Hollywood DI of the lot and Webb's portrayal of a Marine Drill Instructor in the classic movie, The DI was worthy of a Chesty award. Webb had the whole Drill Instructor persona down cold and Jack swore he felt like he was back in boot camp when he saw the movie. My Drill Instructors in 1968 were sadistic drunks and they would wake us up in the middle of the night, make us put blankets over the windows in the barracks to hide the light and proceed to torture us one by one. Had Mr. Webb thrown in a couple of punches, kicks and gouges while screaming at the top of his lungs he could have been one of my drill instructors!

Webb wore the campaign hat, the DI's crown of power at the most authoritative forward tilt yet filmed, John Wayne did not do it better. (But sorry Mr. Jack Webb, as good as you were I don't think I have ever seen anyone act the part of a marine that was as psycho as either of the two that got ahold of me). Neither came close to the real thing, of course, they were only "acting." Jack had his Jack Webb and I've got R. Lee Ermey, in my mind the best of my generation of actors playing Marine roles. Maybe he did it so well because he was one of us. Semper Fi Gunny!