America's trying to do the best for its veterans.
Back in the old Corp, we weren't training those privates to infiltrate into the peacetime Marine Corp. We were training those privates to go to Vietnam.
Back in those days intimidation was the greatest tool the drill instructor had. Without that tool, he would not have had control.
Drill instructors worked seven days a week, fifteen to seventeen hours a day in many cases, with no time off in between platoons.
Even though I disagree with many of the changes, when I see the privates graduate at the end of the day, when they walk off that drill field at the end of the ceremony, they are still fine privates; outstanding, well motivated privates.
Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.
I disagree with a lot of those changes, however at the end of the day - I go down to recruit graduation at least once or twice a year.
I don't have any respect at all for the scum-bags who went to Canada to avoid the draft or to avoid doing their fair share.
I firmly believe that you live and learn, and if you don't learn from past mistakes, then you need to be drug out and shot.
I go the VA Hospital when I have a problem and the doctor jumps on me.
I got space from Travis Air Force Base, went back to the Philippine Islands and made it a point to meet the only American casting director in the Philippines. I was off and running.
I got to write most of everything I said.
I honestly do feel that I am a role model for young people.
I talk at high schools. I go to children's hospitals. I try to stay as involved as I can with young people, because they are the ones that count.
I tell you, drill instructors were the most motivated people that I've ever met.
I was stationed at a marine recruit depot in San Diego from 1965 to 1967.
I'm a charter member of the Marine Corp Drill Instructor Association, so I know exactly what the changes have been.
I've never had to spend any time in the VA hospital, so I really can't speak for those guys.
If some of the soldiers didn't get welcomed with parades, wreathes, hugs and kisses, I guess they had a tendency to feel shunned. I was never shunned.
In very early 1966, we needed to get warm bodies to Vietnam, so the recruit training was cut down to eight weeks.
It hurt drill instructors when they'd see their privates' names on that obituary page. It was very painful for them.
It's been a pretty fun ride, to tell you the truth.
It's my firm conviction that when Uncle Sam calls, by God we go, and we do the best that we can.
Kubrick ate it up. He loved it. He just let me go crazy.
Kubrick's films have life - they just never die.
My favorite contemporary book is Black Hawk Down. My favorite non-contemporary book is Mutiny on the Bounty.
Of all of the veterans I know personally, I don't know one that was ever shunned.
Oh, I'm no big hero. I got hurt heading for the bunkers - me and my guys.
That's all I cared about too, was getting it right.
The bad news motivated the drill instructors that much more.
The best part about the movie, and everybody seems to rave about it, is the boot camp part.
The biggest problem was the politicians knew nothing about fighting a war.
The drill instructor must have total and complete control. Mindless obedience is what he's after.
The first thing a drill instructor did in the morning was march those privates up to the mess hall, get them seated and have them say their prayers.
The year before last, I was so busy answering normal mail that I had to recruit my wife, daughters and son to help with addressing envelopes.
There have been a lot of changes in recruit training in the past twenty years.
There was a huge, tremendous amount of disabled veterans and the Veteran's Administration just wasn't geared up for it. I know for a fact that it's getting better and better.
There's a lot of whiners in every crowd.
We had times in '66 and '67 when we would pick up a platoon of privates out of the receiving barracks the week before we even graduated the platoon that we were on!
When you try to find funding for a VVA function, it doesn't seem like it's any trouble at all. People come out of the woodwork with their money to help out because we went over and fought a war.
Without discipline, there is no Marine Corp.
You'd be surprised how many kids and young people come to the website and send me email that they are actually going into the Marine Corp because of something that I said or did.
R. Lee played the father of a murdered teenage girl in the movie Dead Man Walking, a film about capital punishment that starred Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.
R. Lee had a minor role as a helicopter pilot in Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now. He was also a technical advisor for the film.
When R. Lee was in the "Simpsons" episode "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming," one of his lines was, "What is your major malfunction, Sideshow Bob!?" This was a parody of his role in Full Metal Jacket, in which he asked Vincent D'Onofrio's character what his "major malfunction" was.
Aside from his early military roles, he often plays characters with power, such as sheriffs, police chiefs, and many other types of law enforcement officers.
His rank in the Marine Corps was E-7 Honorary Gunnery Sergeant.
In 1988, R. Lee was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for: Full Metal Jacket (1987).
R. Lee appeared in the Crispin Glover music video "Ben" in 2003. It's available only on special features on the Willard (2003) DVD.
R. Lee appeared in a TV commercial for The History Channel in 2001.
R. Lee did a radio commercial for San Diego's KIOZ Rock 105.3 in 2000.
R. Lee appeared in a TV commercial for Coors beer in 1996.
R. Lee used the same line ("You're not afraid of a little blood, are you?") in two consecutive movies - Willard (2003), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). Both films were released in 2003 and both films just happened to be remakes as well.
R. Lee's U.S. Marine Corps awards and decorations include: Meritorious Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal (w/bronze service star), Vietnam Campaign Medal (w/60 Device), Vietnam Gallentry Cross (w/Palm), Good Conduct Medal (w/2 bronze service stars), Marksman Badge (w/Rifle Bar) and Sharpshooter Badge (w/Pistol Bar).
R. Lee was not intended to be in Full Metal Jacket (1987). He was on the set to show the actor how to be a drill sergent but did such a better job that they hired him to play the part.
R. Lee is 6' (1.83 m) tall.
R. Lee supplied the voice of "Wa-Wa" (The Water Elemental Mask) in the video game, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (2001).
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