A big loss.

[mrerick]

I knew R. Lee Ermey and met him several times at the CMP Eastern Games held at Camp Butner in North Carolina.

He was always fun to be around, and quite aware of being an "actor" respecting the fine Marines - one of whom he played on the screen.

He was at the games regularly to compete and earn his marksmanship badges and the EIC points needed to progress in national competition.

Lee was always particularly careful to spend time with young people, and quite generous in his praise of their participation in the games and accomplishments.

My last visit with him included the memory of sitting in a circle with beers in hand just enjoying the beautiful North Carolina afternoon between stages of CMP competition.

He gave up a great deal in terms of work because of his conservative values and support for firearms rights in the United States. His last years saw him actively blackballed from support for productions on film and in television. I suspect that the gun grabbers behind much of Hollywood money saw the "damage" Lee was doing to their "cause" by unabashedly telling the truth about guns.