R. Lee Erme​y, Best Known As 'The Gunny,' Dies Of Pneumonia

LOS ANGELES, CA — R. Lee Ermey, a Golden Globe-nominated actor best known as "The Gunny," has died due to complications from pneumonia. He was 74.

Ermey died on Sunday morning, according to his longtime manager Bill Rogin.

"It is with deep sadness that I regret to inform you all that R. Lee Ermey ("The Gunny") passed away this morning from complications of pneumonia," Rogin said in a tweet posted on Ermey's Twitter account. "He will be greatly missed by all of us."

Ermey was a former marine who often played the role of a hardened military man, including Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket." He was the voice of Sarge, a little green army man in "Toy Story," and portrayed a helicopter pilot in "Apocalypse Now."

Ermey was born in Emporia, Kansas, in 1944. He moved to a small farm a few years later about 18 miles from Kansas City, according to the Civilian Marksmanship Program's online magazine. He told the magazine in 2010 that it was a "pretty good life out on the farm," and that he would hunt on his way to school.

“I used to hunt my way to the bus stop on the way to school every morning," Ermey said. "It was about a mile to the bus and I used my grandfather's old 12-gauge shotgun. The end of the barrel was paper thin. It was so blown out, heck, I could shoot three ducks at a time,” Ermey said. “I would stash my gear, my game and shotgun in a culvert, get on the bus and then hunt my way back home after school.

When he was 14, Ermey's family moved to Toppenish, Washington, where he became known as a troublemaker and "a bit of a hell-raiser." He would join the Marines three years later, thanks to a kind older judge who, after seeing Ermey twice in juvenile court, gave him a choice: join the military or go to a place "where the sun never shines."

He served as a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego during his 11 years in the Marines. Ermey also served for more than a year in Vietnam and completed two tours in Okinawa, Japan.

On Ermey's Facebook page, Rogin called Ermey's death "a terrible loss" and said no one was prepared for it. While he often portrayed a grizzled military veteran, Rogin said Ermey was actually a family man and a "Kind and gentle soul."

"He was generous to everyone around him," Rogin wrote. "And, he especially cared deeply for others in need."

Rogin compared "The Gunny" to one of the Riflemen's Creed, a famous quote in "Full Metal Jacket" that says "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine."

Rogin wrote: "There are many Gunny's, but this one was OURS. And, we will honor his memory with hope and kindness."

Rogin asked that Ermey's supporters continue supporting the men and women in uniform. That's what he would've wanted most of all.

"Semper Fi, Gunny. Godspeed," he wrote.

Statement from R. Lee Ermey's long time manager, Bill Rogin:

It is with deep sadness that I regret to inform you all that R. Lee Ermey ("The Gunny") passed away this morning from complications of pneumonia. He will be greatly missed by all of us.

Semper Fi, Gunny. Godspeed. pic.twitter.com/vf4O78JKmb
— R. Lee Ermey (@RLeeErmey) April 15, 2018

Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images