A biography for R. Lee Ermeyhasn’t been written yet.
“In order to be a good actor, I'm a firm believer that you need to bring something to the table.”
“I try to get over to Iraq and Afghanistan as much as I can.”
“I play well with everybody.”
“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.”
“The drill instructor must have total and complete control. Mindless obedience is what he's after.”
“Kubrick ate it up. He loved it. He just let me go crazy.”
“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.”
“The biggest problem was the politicians knew nothing about fighting a war.”
“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.”
“Kubrick's films have life - they just never die.”
“I've never had to spend any time in the VA hospital, so I really can't speak for those guys.”
“I'm never, like I say, I'm never happy, I'm never satisfied, it's never good enough.”
“I go the VA Hospital when I have a problem and the doctor jumps on me.”
“I hate to hear 'Less is more.' It's a crock of crap.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.”
“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.”
“I always love to come to Austin.”