Got to meet a Marine Drill Instructor
Posted: 25 Nov 2021, 07:06
Over the weekend had the chance to meet Marine Drill Gsgt Foley:
OK, maybe not a real DI but he has an Oscar for it! He was pretty cool. He asked me where I got the name "Bones" and I told him because I'm so skinny. He thought that was great. I asked him if he had to go to USMC DI school for his part in the movie. He said yes, he went to the school, and the DIs there made sure he stayed in it and learned it to the T. Then, when shooting started, the DIs from the school were on set to make sure he was staying authentic to the role. So, as he put it, "It was the DIs that got the Oscar, not me."
I also asked him how at the end of the movie each new ensign was handing him something before he saluted them. Before I could ask him what it was he said, "A silver dollar. It was the tradition that when an aviation officer candidate arrived at AOCS, they were given a silver dollar to help carry them (symbolically) through the training. Upon graduation, they would return it to the DI, and when the next class came in, the DI would pass it to the next candidates.
I asked why when Mayo gave him his silver dollar, he put it in his left pocket while everyone else was in his right. He said, "That was because Mayo was an exceptional and memorable candidate. That's also why he told Mayo to 'get the hell out of here' otherwise he was going to break down and lose it in front of Mayo because he was so moved by him in the training." It felt good to know that as I had noticed this but it was never explained or even alluded to in the movie. Lou said he was surprised I noticed this, that no one really did.
My wife wanted to meet him as she remembered watching him on a TV series in Poland but she wasn't there at the time. When we left, she had to run to the bathroom and I waited there with our son at the lobby of the hotel. Lo and behold but who gets wheeled in to the lobby but Lou Gosset, Jr. (he is currently disabled). I was like, oh man, my wife is gone AGAIN and he's right here! Lou noticed me and said, "Is that Bones over there?" I said yes and introduced him to my son. It was cute when my son said, "Hi, Mr. Gosset." So Lou started chatting with me about Atlanta where he lives and Thanksgiving and stuff and I kept trying to keep the convo going so that when my wife gets back she can meet him.
Luckily she did come back in time and so got to meet him. With that we bid him happy Thanksgiving and a safe flight home and took our leave.
It was a pleasant experience!
We also met Joe Pantaliano and C. Thomas Howell, and they were great too! But didn't have as long of a convo or a chance meeting like we did with Lou. I should have asked him if he was flying home in an F-16 hahaha.
v6,
boNes
OK, maybe not a real DI but he has an Oscar for it! He was pretty cool. He asked me where I got the name "Bones" and I told him because I'm so skinny. He thought that was great. I asked him if he had to go to USMC DI school for his part in the movie. He said yes, he went to the school, and the DIs there made sure he stayed in it and learned it to the T. Then, when shooting started, the DIs from the school were on set to make sure he was staying authentic to the role. So, as he put it, "It was the DIs that got the Oscar, not me."
I also asked him how at the end of the movie each new ensign was handing him something before he saluted them. Before I could ask him what it was he said, "A silver dollar. It was the tradition that when an aviation officer candidate arrived at AOCS, they were given a silver dollar to help carry them (symbolically) through the training. Upon graduation, they would return it to the DI, and when the next class came in, the DI would pass it to the next candidates.
I asked why when Mayo gave him his silver dollar, he put it in his left pocket while everyone else was in his right. He said, "That was because Mayo was an exceptional and memorable candidate. That's also why he told Mayo to 'get the hell out of here' otherwise he was going to break down and lose it in front of Mayo because he was so moved by him in the training." It felt good to know that as I had noticed this but it was never explained or even alluded to in the movie. Lou said he was surprised I noticed this, that no one really did.
My wife wanted to meet him as she remembered watching him on a TV series in Poland but she wasn't there at the time. When we left, she had to run to the bathroom and I waited there with our son at the lobby of the hotel. Lo and behold but who gets wheeled in to the lobby but Lou Gosset, Jr. (he is currently disabled). I was like, oh man, my wife is gone AGAIN and he's right here! Lou noticed me and said, "Is that Bones over there?" I said yes and introduced him to my son. It was cute when my son said, "Hi, Mr. Gosset." So Lou started chatting with me about Atlanta where he lives and Thanksgiving and stuff and I kept trying to keep the convo going so that when my wife gets back she can meet him.
Luckily she did come back in time and so got to meet him. With that we bid him happy Thanksgiving and a safe flight home and took our leave.
It was a pleasant experience!
We also met Joe Pantaliano and C. Thomas Howell, and they were great too! But didn't have as long of a convo or a chance meeting like we did with Lou. I should have asked him if he was flying home in an F-16 hahaha.
v6,
boNes