The Hunt for Red October (film) James Earl Jones in the United States Army. Baldwin and Glenn spent time on a "Los Angeles"-class submarine. Baldwin was trained to drive an attack submarine. Some extras portraying the "Dallas" crew were serving submariners, including the pilot of the DSRV, Lt Cmdr George Billy, commander of the DSRV. Submariners from San Diego were cast as extras because it was easier to hire them than to train actors. Crew from , including Lt Mark Draxton, took leave to participate in filming. According to an article in "Sea Classics", at least two sailors from the Atlantic Fleet-based "Dallas" took leave and
The Hunt for Red October physical power in solving a particular crisis. From a young age, Clancy was an avid reader of naval history and sea exploration. However, he was later rejected from serving in the military because of his poor eyesight. Since graduating from high school and eventually earning an English major, he always wanted to write a novel. He eventually worked as an insurance agent for a small business owned by his then-wife's family. In his spare time, Clancy started working on "The Hunt for Red October" on November 11, 1982, and finished it four months later on February 23, 1983. Contrary to