Mail Call
Mail Call was a television program that appeared on the History Channel and hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant,. The show debuted on August 4, 2002 as part of the 'Fighting Fridays' lineup. Most episodes were 30 minutes, but from 2007 through the show's end in 2009 some episodes were 60 minutes. During each episode, Ermey read and answered questions submitted by viewers regarding weapons and equipment used by all branches of the U.S. military now or in the past, as well as by other armed forces in history. Ermey often took his viewers on location to military training areas to film demonstrations. When not on location, Ermey broadcast from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military gear which changed throughout the series. At times, he would also have a bulldog - usually symbolic of Marines, especially drill instructors - on his show as well. Comic relief was provided as Ermey inflicted DI-style verbal abuse on his viewers or tests the effects of various weapons on watermelons and paint cans, as well as occasional appearances of "Mini-Lee", an action figure styled in Ermey's likeness, often seen berating a luckless G.I. Joe figurine. His demeanor as host was similar to the character "Gunnery Sergeant Hartman" portrayed by Ermey in the Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket, though this attitude was shown only towards his viewers and not the military special guests. Older viewers might compare him to Sergeant Vincent Carter, a character in the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. television program.
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Seasons & Episodes
1. Tank; Gatling Gun; Samurai Sword
Steering a World War II tank; Gatling gun's speed; power of the samurai sword.
2. Knight's Armor; WWI Backpack; Landmine
Parts of 15th-century armor; World War I infantry backpack; ingredients of a land mine.
3. Flak Vest; Medieval Crossbow; WWI Pilots
Body armor; accuracy of a medieval crossbow; how World War I pilots shot through their propellers.
4. Civil War Cannoneers; Night Vision; Clearing a Minefield
Aiming Civil War artillery pieces; how night-vision technology works; how to clear a minefield.
5. Landing Craft, Air Cushion Hovercraft (LCAC); U.S. Cavalry Saddles; Gas Masks
Operating the LCAC; cavalry saddles used in the Old West; how gas masks work.
6. Mortar; WWII GIs' Personal Items; Native-American Arrows
Maneuverable artillery; musket; Navy airships; precision flying team; pirates; depth charges
7. Re-Fueling a Fighter Jet; Naval Signal Flags; GI Chow
How to refuel a fighter jet in mid-air; how ships send messages using signal flags; what soldiers eat.
8. Revolutionary WarMusket; Jousting; Foxholes
How fast a Revolutionary War soldier could fire a musket; jousting; how to dig a foxhole.
9. The Pilum; WWII Radios; First Rockets
The ancient Roman pilum is designed to penetrate armor; World War II army radios; how rockets were first used on the battlefield.
10. Ninja Weapons; Flamethrower; Military Dogs
The weapons of the Japanese Ninja; how flamethrowers work; what military dogs do.
11. Grenades; Dog Tags; Dinner in a Pouch
No description available.
12. The Jeep; HIMARS; Hurricanes
No description available.
13. Future Gear; Marine Camouflage; Army's New Armored Vehicle
Possible gear for troops on tomorrow's battlefields; Marines design their new camouflage pattern; the Stryker.
