"Jarhead" movie trailer

I could be wrong but hearing that the "bout bout bout bout " music in the trailer was a Konye "Bush doesn't care about black people" West song only reinforces that opinion.

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Complete Joke, October 19, 2005
Reviewer: Mark A. Rocco "Sgt Rock - Former Sergeant of Marines" (Dayton, OH)

Sorry to tell you all... but................ Anthony Swofford is in need of some serious mental help. I was there, I was a Marine Grunt with India 3/9, Task Force Papa Bear for the first Gulf War. Swofford's novel (if you want to call it that) is soooooooooooooooooooo beyond fiction, tall tales, exaggeration, false bravado, and very likely the only truth from the book is that Swafford was smoking crack cocaine while writing it.

For others that were there, what a disgrace Swofford brings upon us with his book and NOW, someone is funding a movie of this trash.

I put this book (and upcoming movie) up with GI Jane, and all that Jessica Lynch mumbo jumbo that we are exposed to with Hollywood in charge of a movie with a military theme ............. complete BS.

There you have it, Sgt Rock's opinion of Anthony Swofford, his hallucinations, his book and for the love of God, I still can't believe it....... funding for a movie. A VERY detailed review of this book can be found below.


Semper Fi,

Sgt Rock

* Wow, it all starts on page two. Anthony Swofford .... Super Marine lays out the details of where he gets his extra spending cash. Swofford goes into detail about how he steals MREs (meals ready to eat) from supply and then sells them to an army/navy store in San Bernadino. He also describes how he steals from other Marines, their gear and sells it in much the same way. Impressive Swofford, but if you were such the Super Marine why didn't you get promoted and earn a higher paycheck to supplement your income? This is all on page two and it really motivates me to keep flipping the pages of this "Chronicle" (as Swofford calls his book).
* Page seven is where we find out that Swofford is rather obsessed with the Vietnam war movies that dotted his childhood. As his fellow Marines and himself are staging for deployment to Saudi Arabia, they watch war movies to motivate themselves for killing and Swofford can only come up with this statement, "I want ammunition and alcohol and dope...." Damn Swofford, you make me so proud!
* Let's look at page 13 and this is where we find out that Swofford was absolutely in a different Marine Corps than (at the time) 196,000 other Marines "Knowing that reporters will arrive soon, we shave for the first time in a week." Wow, this must be some super, secret, high-speed STA Platoon thing. Perhaps they were so high-speed that they were to blend with the locals and grow beards? Hey Swofford, I have never seen, at any time in my eight years as a Marine Grunt a more "anal" time in the Marine Corps than that first month in country in Saudi Arabia. We were polishing boots, shaving AND keeping mustaches in regulation. Swofford, come on man........... we were in sister units, a few miles apart and you are telling us that 2/7 just gave up on grooming regulations for over a week? Let me guess...... it was only a STA Platoon thing?
* Very interesting story starting on page 17 to page 23. It's the famous MOPP Suit Football Game where Swofford knows that civilians will believe they played for an hour in 112 degree+ temperatures. Of course a Marine knows that Swofford is back to his exaggerations again. Even more interesting is how he describes them all pouring water over themselves after the game at the straddle trench, naked and/or wearing only underwear and female Boston Globe reporter is just standing there soaking it all in. Great fantasy Swofford, but you had been in theater less than two weeks and we both know that holy hell would have come unglued if ANY Marine would have run around naked OR in underwear around a female, US reporter. Great for a book but let's remember Swofford, there were many Marines around. Are they getting royalties to keep quiet about your delusions?
* Perhaps 2/7 was also a Super Marine Unit that didn't have the same rules, regulations that the rest of us had. Perhaps STA 2/7 were such hard-ass, perfect Marines that they got to keep all their porno and alcohol in Saudi Arabia? One must figure that being snipers, they were outstanding at hiding themselves so it only seems reasonable that that they could all hide illegal contraband as well. Page 25 is only the first reference (there are many) that "chronicles" the massive and bottomless pit of porno that STA 2/7 keeps in theater.
* Once again, Swofford shows us all what an outstanding Marine he is in basic character. On page 33 Swofford is so proud to inform us that he wore earrings while on leave and EVEN grew sideburns. For sure, as a sniper he would be so stealthy on his return to active duty that absolutely no one would have noticed the holes in his ears.
* Also on page 33 I believe we hear for the first time (there are more) that Swofford likes busting up bars (Kadena AFB on Okinawa). With outstanding prose, Swofford outlines all the broken skulls, bones, chairs and tables. Of course, being a sniper he was able to sneak out the back before getting caught. Also in here we find out that he likes to hang with gay Navy folk because they knew of the best bars. Actually, I've very surprised that Swofford hasn't thrown some gay or bisexual crap into his book. Surely that would enable a few more copies to be sold? "Jarhead" could have been the military version of "Less Than Zero."
* Swofford again counts on no Marines actually ever reading this trash so on page 36 he tells us that he had his Japanese girlfriend sleep in the barracks with him. He even tells us that it's Camp Hansen on Okinawa. We all know that this probably never happened in the open squad bays of Camp Hansen but this book is a best seller with a movie being made, so there is no doubt that it must be true.
* Page 45, "But after 14 weeks of bootcamp......." If this is such a "come clean, honest chronicle" then why doesn't Swofford tell us why he spends an extra week in bootcamp? Again, almost 200,000 Marines (active duty in the late 80's early 90's) all spent 13 weeks in bootcamp but our Super Marine Anthony Swofford is there for 14. I'm betting he was so outstanding of a Marine that they kept him there for an extra week so that he could show the Drill Instructors what they were doing wrong.
* Swofford the hard ass tells us on page 45 that he called his Captain a *beep* addict cumsucker bitchmaster dickskinner *beep* *beep* nopecker lilywhitebitch." This Captain, we are told, "Laughs as he signs my orders to the Seventh Marines." Sure Swofford, you call a Marine Corps Captain all this stuff and he just laughs. Interestingly, this may in fact be the single largest crock of *beep* in this book.
* Still on page 45 we see more of Swofford's character. He fakes a stomach flu the first week of reporting to Camp Pendleton, chewing Ex-Lax gum and flirting with underage candy stripers. Swofford, we're all so impressed.
* Page 47, Swofford is on theater marquee duty and spells *beep* IT, SHOWING ALL DAY" on the movie theater marquee. (If this is where ALL Marines inprocess to Camp Pendleton, it would make it the Mainside Theater, but perhaps Super Marine Swofford inprocessed somewhere else.) Sure Swofford, sure you did.
* Still on page 47, Swofford tells us that the Seventh Marines were stationed at San Onofre. You know I'll hate informing you all but Seventh Marines were stationed at San Mateo until they were moved to 29 Palms. You would think that a sniper would have these kinds of details covered?
* Swofford runs into the ONLY Staff Sergeant in the entire Marine Corps, past or present that tells him to "Stop calling me Staff Sergeant" on page 49. It was Swofford's first day with Seventh Marines and him and the Staff Sergeant got so tight in those few hours that they must have reverted to first names but we can only speculate as Swofford just tells us that a Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps doesn't like being called Staff Sergeant.
* Page 50 is where the branding takes place. It may have happened, it may not have but chances are, with Swofford's current trust level........... I bet it didn't.
* "I learned from Graycochea that just because you are a Marine, it doesn't mean you must like other Marines or even care about them," is from page 53. This is lovely Swofford, just plain lovely.
* Page 65 is the famous video care package from a Marine Wife. We all heard the story while we were over there. It may have actually happened in Fox 2/7 as Swofford claims. It was an urban legend and may have actually happened but did it actually happen to Swofford's unit? Again, Swofford is more than likely including it, happening to him to sell books.
* On page 70 Swofford is tongue kissing the muzzle of his M16. He goes into great detail describing the taste, texture and such. Guess what? Swofford is one serious retard. Period!
* How many times does Swofford expect us (Marines) to believe that he was in some DIFFERENT Marine Corps than the rest of us? On page 72 he describes Troy being busted for failing a drug test. They busted him from Corporal to Private but left him in STA Platoon. No way, Swofford! At this point, only page 72 out of 260 why haven't you PULLED that trigger and spared us all the BS... JESUS !!!
* On page 74 Swofford tells us that he and Troy ran all night, the perimeter.... until the sun came up. Sure you did Swofford. You just got bored and ran all damn night.
* Page 75 starts the crap about Troy dying. One more time, Swofford tells us about busting up a bar and nothing happening to him. This time the cops do show up and he leads us to believe that the cops were glad the locals got beat up. We are lead to believe that no charges were filed and of course he goes into great detail about all the skulls, bones, tables and chairs getting broken. This was all because some local actually approached them in the bar and told them that they were glad that Troy had died. Wow......... I'll bet you were just minding your business and some locals just approached you to exclaim, "Hey Jarhead, don't you think you need a haircut, just like your *beep* dead friend?" Of course, they got their hair pulled as well. Maybe if Swofford had his earrings in and sideburns the locals wouldn't have known he was a Jarhead? Yeah Swofford, what happened to the earrings and sideburns?
* On page 78 we hear about some reservist Marines who did Troy's funeral asking them about their ribbons. Marine reservists do that all the time. They'll just come out of nowhere, closets, from under your car and down your chimney to confront you about your ribbons and medals.
* OK, something credible from the book. On page 87 Staff Sergeant Siek tells the STA Platoon Marines, "I am here to tell you that you Marines are considered an undisciplined group of showboats." It appears that perhaps 2/7 has only ONE Marine that actually isn't some freakshow with his head completely up his ass as Swofford goes into great detail wanting us to believe. OOH RAH Staff Sergeant Siek, finally someone I respect in this "chronicle."
* Swofford tells us on page 90 that they just blow off orders from Staff Sergeant Siek to train while he is gone and of course they all start drinking alcohol as well. This is the mighty, elite STA Platoon of 2/7. I would soooooooooo want them working with me.
* Page 94, STA 2/7 is passed out drunk when Staff Sergeant Siek returns.
* Page 95, "STA Marines don't grow mustache." Hey Swofford, mustaches are taboo but your earrings and sideburns are "good to go?" Swofford, you need help!!!

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* STA Platoon misses their range time on page 98 because their firewatch fell asleep. Mighty, Mighty STA Platoon, Super Marines, Anthony Swofford, hard as nails and they can't stay awake on firewatch.
* Page 103 Swofford points a loaded weapon at a fellow STA Marine. It's a completely retarded 3-4 pages of Swofford acting all macho and of course nothing happens to him. Nothing happens because Swofford is an elite, sniper, STA Platoon Marine.
* Page 116, Fergus comes to visit Swofford after both were out of the Corps and Fergus has hair down to his ass. You see, since Fergus was a Super, sniper, STA Platoon Marine he could grow hair to his ass in just two years. Swofford claims his hair is now past his shoulders.
* On page 128, Swofford tells us that him being a paperboy as a kid and developed an aiming technique that would later help while tossing grenades. Swofford, how many grenades have you thrown? Probably quite a few as I remember when I was in we'd throw 50-100 of them every single day. We'd steal them and trade them for earrings out in town.
* Page 139 Swofford starts this retarded crap about sucking on bullets. Why doesn't he suck on his earrings?
* Back to the female reporter from the Boston Globe earlier in the "chronicle," on page 140 Swofford tells us that while riding in a Humvee one of his Marines makes an obscene gesture at a passing Mercedes with female Saudi Arabians. As with how the Corps (the Corps that I belonged to) handles this type of thing. Swofford and his entire STA Platoon would have gotten punished beyond belief for this type of behavior. But....... Because I wasn't a STA Platoon, Super Marine.......... Perhaps they were all given a free ride on their behavior?
* Page 143, Swofford tells us again that he was unshaven for weeks. Sure you were, Super Marine.
* Page 179, the first night of the air war, Swofford tells us that the Mighty, Mighty, Super Marine STA Platoon sleeps without a fire watch. I guess it was intentional as he never says it was an accident again. I'm thinking that enough time had passed that the enemy had heard of STA 2/7 and they didn't need a firewatch because no one in their right mind would have the nuts to attack a unit as hard and tough as STA 2/7. I mean, they never shaved for weeks at a time, drank whiskey, and carried sniper rifles. Yes, STA 2/7 was a crack, elite Marine unit for sure. I forgot, they never sipped whiskey, they always finished the entire fifth. That's impressive.
* Page 185 tells us that their Corpsman, Doc Duncan always passed out sleeping pills to anyone who wanted them. Yeah, I sure remember that. We could just approach any Corpsman and he always had sleeping pills, speed, whatever drugs we needed.
* Page 190, Swofford cries (for about the 93rd time in the book) and I believe it's the first time he pees his pants (there are more times). He's crying because he's finally earned his Combat Action Ribbon. Yeah, we all cried when we got the ribbon. Swofford, you are a retard!!!
* Page 191, "Like an E-tool striking a skull." Swofford, have you heard an E-tool striking a skull? Please tell us about it.
* Page 194, Swofford tells us about his first patrol and how they had no support. He tells us that as he's leaving friendly lines, the local Sergeant knows of his plight. Sure Swofford, during patrols, especially ones where STA Platoon was involved, we always knew everything about the patrol. I knew you weren't wearing underwear. Pleeeeeeeeease !!!!
* Page 197, Swofford pees his pants for the second time. Cool, makes the "chronicle" seem so real. I want to read it again.
* Page 198, "The rest of the team returns to battalion and Johnny and I patrol the final click alone." This of course is because Swofford is so tough that only two STA Marines are needed. Did I mention that he's bulletproof as well.
* Page 204 tells us that Swofford's recruiter sold him the Marine Corps by telling him about all the ass he could get overseas. Actually two recruiters told him that at different times. Swofford is underage, a minor, still in highschool and still these Marine recruiters will sit all day and tell him that he can buy a threesome overseas for $40.00. Sure they did as they didn't value their jobs at all. With Swofford, perhaps they could have bought him big, hoop earrings and saved the sex stories.
* Pages 208-209, more Marine Recruiter *beep*
* Page 214 at the bottom, Swofford does this retarded, touchy-feeling thing with leaning his head back, opening his mouth and tasting the rain with oil mix that was falling from the sky in Kuwait. It's very special and reading it makes me cry, pee my pants and want to put earrings in.
* Page 219, Swofford is again talking serious smack as he describes an exchange over the radio where Johnny cusses and rips into the Battalion Executive Officer. I'm very sure it happened as Majors in the Marine Corps just love when junior enlisted Marines call them *beep* and Lousy Dicks" especially over the radio.
* Page 230, Swofford tells us that he and his team are not being used because they are so deadly and that they rifle company commanders want to make sure there are targets for their companies when they get there. So, Swofford and his team are told to stand down because of how dangerous, deadly and after all, they were Super Marine STA Platoon.
* Page 239, Crocket plays with dead Iraqi bodies. This whole thing, maybe a couple of pages worth is absolutely retarded. Who knows, maybe it happened but more than likely our Marine Swofford is just getting stupid again.
* Page 242, Of course there has to be a booby trap thing in the book. Nice going Swofford, you really have it all covered.
* Pages 244-245, Swofford tells us about shooting captured weapons into the air. These guys are STA Platoon and certainly bullet proof as no one gets hit when the rounds return to earth. The end of 245 is so cute, "I weep, screams, carry mad screams home with us.........." This is really good. Great job Swofford, this will sell many books......... maybe a movie will even get made.
* Page 250, one more time, Swofford is so bad that he can just order alcohol when told by a Colonel to NOT do so. This Swofford guy is BAD. Scary Bad, STA Marine.

Sorry, only trying to keep it REAL.......... very much UNLIKE what Anthony Swofford composes, has published and then generates a movie. I really have to say it again, but Swofford's book is NOT about the psychology of men in combat. I'd say it's more about a man who needed help, and still needs help. One thing is for sure, Swofford would have never made it 60 days in MY Marine Corps as we would have identified him as unstable and untrustworthy right off the bat. Last, if he would have EVER pointed a weapon at me for any reason, I would have killed him before the sun went down that day. Does that sound tough? Macho? No one points weapons at other Marines and nothing happens about it. Of course for Super Marine, Anthony Swofford....... the guy who busts up bars and never gets charged, who can run all night till the sun comes up, who likes to french kiss the muzzle of his M16, chew/suck on bullets and cry about every 8 hours, YES, I'm sure it was all so real.

I don't hate Swofford.... he was a Marine and did his time. What you and most others aren't taking into consideration is the truth. Absolutely, not just in combat or the military but even in a 9 to 5 work environment those standing next to each other would have completely different perceptions and memories of events. That is understandable. BUT........ what isn't being taking into consideration is how personal it is to us. What if it hit closer to home for you all? What if it was about YOUR high school football team, dance squad, band, softball team or even church congregation? What if someone wrote a book about an aspect of YOUR life that after you read it you wanted to puke?

Something else that you all can't seem to get through your heads even though it's been absolutely hammered home in the above posts is that Swofford doesn't just "get things mixed up." It's understandable to mix dates up, who was there and who wasn't, the name of a bar or the name of a town. We all do that due to memory and time gone by. This is to be expected and no foul called. BUT........... Swofford's errors are calculated falsehoods. All veterans absolutely HATE the blowhard sitting at the bar telling embellished war stories (guess why kerry lost this election). Swofford is exactly to us what kerry was to the SwiftBoat Veterans. Just like the SwiftBoat Veterans, we just want the truth to be told. What I've listed above in my page by page tearing of his book is mostly stuff that we (Marines) know to be HUGE tall tales and BS. This stuff IS NOT stuff that that gets mixed up in memory over time but stuff that someone has to intentionally create. The theme to all of this BS is absolutely someone puffing his chest out and playing hardass retard.

NOW.... I'm going to throw Swofford a bone as it's only fair. First, Swofford DOES accurately capture the drinking, whoring and brotherhood that the Marine Corps truly is. Most of us would agree with that no questions asked. He and I were in the Corps at the same time and ironically, his banter about the t-shirt iron-on and parents not wanting him to join are exactly the kinds of things that I went through. I also decided to be a Marine after seeing the Beruit bombing on TV and wanted to be part of these Marines carrying their wounded Brothers out of the rubble. That was my defining moment along with Swofford's.

So, as we all keep arguing about this book. Swofford may be a good writer, but his book could have been tweaked in many ways. The bottom line is that a large portion of the book is embellishment and it VERY MUCH turns off those of us that were there. There are enough TRUE stories and incidents from that era of the Corps and Desert Storm to write 100 books and make 10 movies but it's sad that Swofford's stuff may end up being the definitive reference of it all.

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goalie said:

Were you there in the gulf in 1991? Were you in a unit that had a STA plt attached to the H&S Company of your battalion?

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Tierhog said:

I was, 3/3 H&S Company NBC NCOIC. One of our STA shooters was killed by an negligent discharge by another STA shooter.

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goalie said:

If I may ask, where were you guys at? I was with 2nd Tanks at the time, and went up with Task Force Ripper while attached to 1/8. I don't even remember where the heck 3rd Marines were at all.

Getting old sucks.

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Most of the Marines in the unit agree that "Jarhead" was written by Swofford as a kind of self motivational story to try an elevate himself above what he truly was, or to get back at Marines that brought his failings to light. Nearly the whole book is embelishment and fabrication(readutright lies) about actual events.

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Were you there in the gulf in 1991? Were you in a unit that had a STA plt attached to the H&S Company of your battalion?

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