I realized long ago that one of the benefits of working here in the newsroom — any newsroom, really, but particularly the DH’s — is that there’s seldom a shortage of entertaining conversation.
The other day, for example, the movie “True Grit” came up. You know, John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, and Glen Campbell as, well, whatever the name of his character was — can’t remember, though I have seen the film a couple times.
Sports editor Les Gehrett then asked if the movie had any relationship with Grit, the old-time magazine/newspaper. News editor Kim Jackson assured him that no, it didn’t, and then remembered how Grit used to try to recruit kids to sell it with ads on the back page of comic books.
“Right next to the ads for X-Ray Specs,” I added.
“And the ads for the Charles Atlas exercise stuff,” Sunday editor Mike Henneke chipped in.
“Yep,” I said. “The ads that showed the skinny guy on the beach getting sand kicked in his face.
“All of this talk,” I continued, “makes me want to go home and read a Sgt. Rock comic book.”
And that gave me an idea for this week’s list: My Top 7 fictional military figures:
1. Sgt. Chip Saunders, "Combat."
2. Sgt. Rock (the Easy Co. platoon leader is the one standing, in case you didn't know).
3. Pfc. Gomer Pyle, here with Sgt. Vince Carter.
4. Forrest Gump. A lot more than a soldier, but the guy did win the Medal of Honor. btw, whenever Jackson tells me that we might not have room for a religion page on any given Friday, I always say to him, "No religion too, Chief?" If you've seen the movie a few times, or seen it recently, or like John Lennon, that will mean something to you.
5. Capt. Quinton McHale, "McHale's Navy."
6. Sgt. Zeke Anderson, "Tour of Duty," second from right with, from left, privates Marvin Johnson, Marcus Taylor and Alberto Ruiz.
7. Hawkeye Pierce, "M*A*S*H."
Honorable mention:
Henry Fleming, "The Red Badge of Courage."
Colleen McMurphy, "China Beach."
Sarah McKenzie, "JAG." (Or Harmon Rabb, if anyone wants to go that route).
2 comments
stevelundeberg says:
May 18, 2012
A reader called to my attention that I had omitted the Hogan's Heroes gang. Had I thought of him, I would've put Col. Hogan mid-list and bumped Hawkeye into honorable mention.
stevelundeberg says:
May 18, 2012
I also probably should've found room for Capt. Miller from "Saving Private Ryan." Most poignant among Miller's quotes:
– "With each person I kill, I feel farther away from the person I used to be."
– "When's the last time you've had a good feeling about anything."
– "We're not here to do the decent thing; we're here to follow f—— orders."