From: Ed Kirkley (mojoedd@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sat Oct 30 2004 - 13:09:07 PDT
Jim,
I really like the show and try to watch it as often as possible. I find it
VERY informative and judging from the era that I was in the Army,
(1967-1971), when he addresses something it's normally right on the money.
It's great that you're involved and trying to keep the show as real as
possible. I'm VERY impressed that your friend goes far enough to keep it as
accurate as he can. I find a lot of so called "military experts" can't even
get uniforms and medal/decorations correct much less weapons and vehicles!
Keep up the good work!
Best Regards,
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Gilmore" <jgilmore@ptd.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 14:07
Subject: [MV] .... "jeep"..some background info.....
> Everette wrote:
> >".........I am a skeptic and I cannot bring myself to believe everything
some fellow
> >in a made up military uniform and stands in front of a set purported to
be a
> >military camp and shouts at me.
> >
> >I had much rather be questioned as to why I did not take every thing he
said
> >as 100% truth; than to be laughed at for believing everything he
said............."
>
>
> Everette, You are judging the information by the person delivering
it..........
>
> Because the Gunny says the information..........you are questioning
it..........
>
> Perhaps I should give you (and others) some background on how this TV
show was filmed.......
>
> R. Lee Ermey is the star of the show.........he is an actor and as such he
is given the information that he tells in the segment. You are assuming
that what he said about the jeep was information that he knows. While R. Lee
may know some on the jeep most of the data that he related on the show came
from other sources......much of it from me.
>
> While my interview shown on the show was very brief......it was
compiled from over three hours of filming. Part of the filming I did was to
walk around the jeep shown in the background (a Ford GP owned by my friend
John Headley from New Jersey) and explain the features and workings of the
1/4 ton truck. They filmed me opening the hood, pointing out the features of
the motor compartment, lowering and raising the windshield, explaining the
function of the shift levers and such.
> When you see R. Lee doing the same thing on the show with the GPW, it
was done by using the tape of me and having him use the information given by
me to show the viewers the features of the jeep. It was much like a script,
which is the usual for these shows.
>
> The producer of Mail Call, my friend Rob Lahini, was very concerned to
make sure that all the statements and information given by R. Lee were as
correct as possible. (Rob is a MVPA member and the GPW that R. Lee uses in
the show is his) Rob went as far as to send me a transcript of R. Lee's
speaking part so that I could check it for accuracy before the show would
air.
>
> So.......when R. Lee Ermey says that those little "F's" stamped on all
those Ford parts are because of warranty concerns by Ford, it's not because
he just thought it sounded good..... it's because of the data that I
presented in my interview (which came from my years of research in the Ford
Motor Company Archives). So......if you think something R. Lee said was
incorrect......I may be the guy you want blame.
>
> The value of information should be judged on itself and not by who is
presenting it..............
>
> As an aside.............the segment with my interview was filmed in the
Military Vehicle restoration shop of Combat Vehicles in Easton, PA. The
next time the episode airs take a look behind me, past the Ford GP, and you
will see one of the rarest WW II tanks. It's a M-36-B1 Tank Destroyer. Only
187 of them were made using a Sherman M-4 chassis with a 90mm main gun in a
larger open turret.
> There are more photos of it (and the Combat Vehicles shop) in the Mail
Call episode on the "M-18, the fastest tank of WW II" This is the episode
where we drag race the M-18 against a M-36 TD. It was a lot of fun filming
that one!
>
> Jim Gilmore
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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