Mail Call

I found this little show on the history channel, and found that it is simply great. THe premise is simple: You send them email, or letters regarding history of military. Then former U.S. Marine sgt. R Lee Ermey answers them. Simple, good, and always funny

I like watching Mail Call whenever it's on. R. Lee does an excellent job of answering probably every question you'd want to know about military technology, past and present. And when he answers a question, he's out there with the people who actually do the job, and sometimes even gives demonstrations himself. R. Lee's delivery style on this show always manages to bring a smile to my face, even though my mom didn't think much of it.

R. Lee Ermey is one of the few service people who has accomplished as much out of the service as he did when he was in. This man is a hero in real life as well as playing one on the screen. I think he was HILARIOUS in Full Metal Jacket. Most people would watch him and say oh he's mean!but as an Army Sergeant I know where he's coming from. Mail Call is an absolute delight. You have fun watching and you learn about our military. How does a flamethrower work? Why were WWI soldiers called "doughboys"? How is a parachute packed? R. Lee takes on every question and answers them all in his own inimitable "in your face" style. This man delievers in spades and he never bores. He has a ball doing this show. I think he has the greatest job in the world. Our Army and the rest of the military is changing so rapidly that even us service guys have a hard time keeping up. Mister Ermey shows our kids that the military is a fine and honorable way of life. He was a juvenile deliquent who was ordered by a judge to join the military. He said the Marine Corps "put a screeching halt to my unconventional manner". Ermey served in Vietnam and was wounded and his Corps career ended after only 10 years. I was so happy the Marines made him an honorary Gunnery Sergeant recently. If ever someone earned their promotion! By the way, did you know that Lee once owned and operated his own whorehouse! I hope Mail Call runs for years, our kids need positive role mdoels like Mister Ermey. He is someone they can look up to. He exemplfies good old fashioned American ideals like patriotism, guts and selfless service. Mister Ermey we need more like you, keep chargin' gunny and as you would say SEMPER FI!

R. Lee Ermey, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, and the star of the movie Full Metal Jacket, is the host of a half-hour question-and-answer show, in which he answers questions about military technology. Send him your questions and if they use them, you'll be notified. OO-RA! SEMPER FI, CARRY ON!

R. Lee pulls of a great program in terms of both historical relevance and his own inimitable humor and style. The show, surprisingly, doesn't focus merely on machine guns and guided missiles, but digs back into important - yet rarely considered - military equipment, personnel and history. When I first heard about "Mail Call", I was afraid that the History Channel would reign in the R. Lee Ermey we all know and love through characters such as Gunnery Sgt. Hartmann in Full Metal Jacket.

Far from it, Ermey acts just as irascable and tough-as-nails here as he does in any of his roles. Sometimes, the jokes are a little stiff, but overall everything seems to work well, and I must admit I do smile when he answers questions from younger viewers with all the patience and kindness of a first-grade teacher. (Please, no-one ever tell him I wrote that!)

If the show has any shortcomings, it's that it's only 30 minutes long. To dig into the real history behind some of the events, innovations and deeds he discusses would be far better served by an hour-long program instead of crammed down into a half of that time.

Overall, if you're tired of "blah" historical documentaries and watching the same grainy footage over and over, as punctuated by the droning voice of an unknown narrator when it comes to military historical shows, shut your piehole, stand tall before the TV and watch some "Mail Call", scumbag!