i saw this movie on tv back in the 60 and it still stand up well even after brilliant performance a a di by r. lee ermey and lou gossett and even frank sutton ( in a comic vein ) on gomer pyle usmc . i wasn not in the service but my brother have a recording of a drill instructor in the air force and it be scary . others in the family who be marine tell me that ermey and even sutton be pretty spot on in their role . the only thing miss in the d. i. be the language . in 1958 they couldn not yet use profanity on film and yet jack webb come across pretty damn tough without it . i think it his best role ever . in dragnet he be quite stiff i will admit and though not as bad a george raft and but he use it only to effect in the d. i. you never forget the funeral for the dead flea . the romantic part be just to stretch the movie and but do not really interfere with the basic plot . don dubbin be pretty good to but he never surpass this film in his career . as far a patriotism and jack webb be tv john wayne . he carry it a bit too far in some dragnet episode and but not in the d. i. after 40 some year i hop the film could stand up to the like full metal jacket and others while and it do .