#Gunny from mail call full

His marksmanship and working knowledge of the firearms earned him the respect and admiration of service members who knew his interest and expertise were genuine.ĭuring a taping of the first episode of Lock and Load, I had the privilege of working with Gunny on the set here near NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va. Both shows featured Gunny describing and shooting vintage and modern firearms. He served as the host for “Mail Call” (2002 – 2007) and “Lock and Load” (2009). Although he was medically discharged from the Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant, he was recalled from retirement and officially promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and then immediately retired at the rank for which everyone came to know and love him.

#Gunny from mail call full

It was Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 film, Full Metal Jacket, that earned him lasting fame and the sobriquet “Gunny” for his stunning performance as Marine Corps Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. This was quickly followed up in 1979 when he appeared in Apocalypse Now, co-written by fellow NRA Board Member John Milius. He earned his first film role-the first of 70 films he would eventually star in-as Sergeant Loyce in 1978’s The Boys in Company C.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served for 11 years, 14 months of which were spent in Vietnam. Known to millions of fans as “Gunny,” Ermey was a native of Emporia, Kansas. Lee Ermey of Palmdale, Calif., passed away from complications of pneumonia at the The NRA Board of Directors lost one of its beloved members on Sunday, Apwhen R.