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How did Gomer even survive his hitch in the USMC?

posted 9 years ago by rikkirat
4 replies | jump to latest

I've been watching reruns of GPUSMC for a couple of months now. And one question that has has me wondering is how Gomer Pyle was even able to survive his hitch in the Marines. You'd think such a goody two shoe doofus like Gomer would have had the ever-loving snot beat out of him by someone - just like the one his namesake in Full Metal Jacket received. I also noticed throughout the episodes that he committed a number of infractions such as insubordination and not following orders that normally wouldn't go unpunished. I know its just a TV show but it still puzzles me.

[–] BiffGG 9 years ago

Seldom shown but Gomer does have a back bone as exhibited in The Andy Griffith Show episode "Citizen's Arrest." Also, in the context of GP : USMC most of the Camp Henderson Marines were physically underwhelming. The only really intimidating Marine was the sargeant played by Michael Conrad of Hill Street Blues fame.

[–] olo_floof 9 years ago

And Full Metal Jacket's just a movie too. I remember watching a special feature on GPUSMC over a decade ago, and it came to the point where the writers/producers were pitching the show (and possibly some scripts) to a Marine consultant, and one of them stopped and asked, "really, could a person like this even exist in the USMC?" And the Marine said, "let me take you out back and show you a few."

Quotes aren't verbatim, but I precisely remember that part over all else - probably because it was the biggest surprise of the entire feature. I don't know about the specifics of the infractions you mention, but as for a person "like Gomer" getting by, apparently it happened on a relatively regular basis.

[–] BiffGG 9 years ago

Like I have said before Gomer was perfect for menial chores in the USMC. Somebody had to change the oil in the Jeeps and cut the grass by the fence.

[–] scamper67 8 years ago

I don't remember the name of the episode, but they were doing combat training and Carter was upset with Gomer because a much smaller guy beat him. However when a bully that had been picking on Gomer throughout the show paired up with him, a bully that was as big as Gomer, Gomer knocked him down flat with no effort at all.

When Carter asked Gomer how the much smaller man beat him and not the bully, Gomer's reply was, "cause he didn't need to be taught a lesson", or words to that effect.

I think Gomer was a guy who had it in him when the going got tough, but he was not one to care if others knew this about him.