Quotes By R. Lee Ermey

I always love to come to Austin.

Communications are better now than in my Vietnam days.

I was stationed at a marine recruit depot in San Diego from 1965 to 1967.

For me, it's an honor for the military to ask me to go to Iraq, Afghanistan, or GITMO. I'm happy to go.

Playing the good guy is tough because you know as well as I do, in real life, you have to watch your P's and Q's and conduct yourself in a respectable manner if you expect to have friends.

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.

I don't have to be concerned about everybody else's character.

It's my firm conviction that when Uncle Sam calls, by God we go, and we do the best that we can.

It's been a pretty fun ride, to tell you the truth.

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.

The best part about the movie, and everybody seems to rave about it, is the boot camp part.

I hate to hear 'Less is more.' It's a crock of crap.

I got to write most of everything I said.

Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.

In order to be a good actor, I'm a firm believer that you need to bring something to the table.

The bad news motivated the drill instructors that much more.

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.

Back in those days intimidation was the greatest tool the drill instructor had. Without that tool, he would not have had control.

That's all I cared about too, was getting it right.

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.

I try to get over to Iraq and Afghanistan as much as I can.

The biggest problem was the politicians knew nothing about fighting a war.

I spend a lot of time with my characters.

There's a lot of whiners in every crowd.

I honestly do feel that I am a role model for young people.

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 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 play well with everybody.

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!

I go the VA Hospital when I have a problem and the doctor jumps on me.