"The D.I."

[Hardcast416taylor]

Watched the 1956 movie "The D.I." the other night. Jack Webb played Sgt. Moore senior drill instructor on Parris Island. I loved the line he used on the boots during weapons cleaning of their M-1 rifles. "People your gov`t paid $80 for your rifle, so treat it carefully". Wish I could find a decent M-1 Garand for anywhere near $80 now!Robert

[3006guns]

I just caught part of a movie with Jack Webb, called "30". Since "30" is used by newspaper editors at the end of a column and he worked at a paper, I'm assuming that's what the movie was about. So much for that.

But everytime I see him I can't help but think "That's Joe Friday!"

The poor guy type cast himself as an L.A. detective into my 1950's juvenile brain forever. No matter what role he plays, he's still Joe Friday to me.

As for $80 Garands.....yeah, I'll take a few. Just pile 'em in my pick up bed please...............

[Boz330]

I remember $79 Garands when I was a teenager at the local Ontario Store ( early predecessor of Walmart) in OH. IIRC the M-14s were $94 when I was in if you lost one. Of course the money would have been the cheap part if you were that unlucky.

I did temporarily misplace a trigger group from mine during final cleanup on the last day of basic. They had these 55 gallon drums cut in half filled with solvent. They called a formation just as I dropped all of my component parts in the drum and I just ran my hand through the muck and grabbed the parts and started putting the rifle back together on the run to formation and ooopps no trigger group. I REALLY hated to tell my DI about that.:shock: I eventually got it back but not before I took my last butt chewing of basic. That $94 dollars was looking like an easy out compared to the grief. Not to mention that was more than a months pay at the time.

Bob

[stubshaft]

I got my H&R through the DCM for $156.00 shipped. loved the movie though, was one of my favorites.

[BarryinIN]

I always wanted to see "DI" but never have.

[Bret4207]

Jack Webb in that movie was a warm and fuzzy teddy bear compared to Senior Drill Instructors Staff Sgt Gelenis, my Senior at PI in '78. But man, could that guy get you to drill!

[Alstep]

I believe Jack Webb really was a DI in the Marine Corps. Can somebody varify that?
R. Lee Ermy was the real thing too, in Full Metal Jacket. That's just the way it was when I went through Paris Island in the mid '60's.

[fishhawk]

Military service is not mentioned in his Bio.

[mroliver77]

This is in his IMDB bio. "During World War II, Webb enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. After washing out of flight training, he applied for and received a hardship discharge, being the primary financial support for his mother and grandmother."

J

[Hardcast416taylor]

The movie can be bought from Turner Classic movies library of movies. "Gunny" Ermy was also a technical advisor for Full Metal Jacket, watch the credits at the end of it.Robert

[Hamish]

You *really* should catch this movie. It really caught me kind of funny. My father and I never got to have any kind of in depth conversations about his being a Marine, and it was a little weird thinking about the date of the movie and his time of service being so close together.

The closing credits are outstanding!

[Trey45]

I was hoping to find the clip but found this one instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irCqA4lcgoE&feature=related

A little later in the movie Webb does the same thing, walks the length of the barracks and back and approaches a recruit and holds out an operating rod spring, the young recruit stammers, that... that can't be mine, mine's in the rifle! To which Webb replies, I know, it's MINE!

[fishhawk]

are we reading the same BIo for Webb at IMD? i still see nothing for military service listed http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0916131/bio

[Trey45]

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Webb lived in the parish of Our Lady of Loretto Church and attended Our Lady of Loretto Elementary School in Echo Park, where he served as an altar boy.[4] He then attended Belmont High School, and later, the St. John's University, Minnesota, where he studied art. During World War II, Webb enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. After washing out of flight training, he applied for and received a hardship discharge, being the primary financial support for his mother and grandmother.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Webb

[fishhawk]

So one of the 2 are wrong I reread the IMD twice and no mention of service so guess we still don't know for sure.

[nicholst55]

I got my H&R through the DCM for $156.00 shipped. loved the movie though, was one of my favorites.

Mine was around $94, IIRC. A Winchester, FWIW.

[mroliver77]

Oops, sorry,
I had done a second search and came up with the Wiki article and credited it to IMDB.

I will try harder to not make misatakes in the future! ;)
J

[cajun shooter]

Many years ago I was reading a article about Webb and his show. It stated that he was really a Army man but Had always wanted to be a Marine.
He had a little rub every time he made a new show with his co-Star who was Harry Morgan and he was a Marine. Dragnet badge 714 was jealous from the reports.
It never stated why the Marines refused his enlistment.
I was 4th infantry 65-68 and to split the difference I enlisted my oldest son in the Marine Corp and my younger son in the Army.

[1Shirt]

I saw the "DI" in Nov. of 1957 on my first boot leave after Paris Island. Agree with Bret! My Sr. DI was Gunny Gagnon, a WWII marine. He would have made Jack Webbs portrail of a DI really seem mild. Brings back memories!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[pmeisel]

I recorded DI last weekend to watch on a rainy day (like today maybe!). I saw it the first time with my platoon.... and I don't think Webb was near as tough as SSGT Robert E. Salser.....

[BigRich]

And he didn't even come remotely close to SSgt. Minor and SSgt. Rufra. I thanked God for those two D.I.'s many times since I first met them. They truly helped to make me the man I am today.