MovieChat Forums > Heartbreak Ridge (1986) Discussion > How old was Gunny Highway?

How old was Gunny Highway?

posted 14 years ago by fatdaddync
24 replies | jump to latest

I've been trying to do the math, but it doesn't add up. Wouldn't GySgt Highway and SgtMaj Choozoo both have been too old to still be on active duty in the USMC at the time of the invasion of Grenada? The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was in 1951. Invasion of Grenada was 32 years later in 1983.

I think due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the mandatory retirement age has recently been raised to age 62, but wasn't it something like age 49 for enlisted men back during the cold war period when this movie was set?

[–] sonofbeach-sheet 14 years ago

I'm doing the math and figure Highway and Choozoo were born about 1933-1934. I think Choozoo told Stitch they were first in the Army, so they enlisted in the Army about 1951, then in the USMC about 1955. Then again, a 28 year E7/Gunnery Sergeant seems a little hard to swallow. In the Air Force today, an E7/Master Sgt can't stay in more than 24 years.

[–] Peerce 14 years ago

The time line doesn't really make sense. If Heartbreak Ridge happened in 1951 and the movie was set in 1983 he'd have to have been in 33 years. Doesn't he say he was in 24 years at the beginning?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] TheCrimsonGhost 14 years ago

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was a month-long battle in the Korean War fought between September 13 and October 15, 1951.

The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 U.S.-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of just over 100,000 located 100 miles (160 km) north of Venezuela.

Stoney Jackson, not Burke.

Perhaps you're the one who should watch the movie again...

[–] chiluvr1228 14 years ago

I'm pretty sure the Grenada thing happened in May of 1984. I was on my honeymoon so it does kind of stick in my mind.

[–] radiodaze 14 years ago

October 25 to December 15th, 1983. Look it up.

[–] Peerce 14 years ago

Forget the anniversary date again?

[–] doc-hawk 13 years ago

I was in the Grenada invasion. It was Oct. - Dec. 1983.

[–] Gwasgray 14 years ago

Then again, a 28 year E7/Gunnery Sergeant seems a little hard to swallow. In the Air Force today, an E7/Master Sgt can't stay in more than 24 years.

What was even harder to swallow was Webster (who looked even older than Highway) still being a Staff Sergeant (E-6).

[–] sonofbeach-sheet 14 years ago

I'm assuming Webster probably didn't join until he was 30-35 and even then a goober with some performance issues. Remember Highway said he could only build up a good case of hemmorhoids.

[–] thealraz_ka 14 years ago

Battle of Heartbreak Ridge - 1951
Invasion of Grenade - 1983

Highway enlists in 1951 in the age of 17. He flounders around in the Army for 4-8 years. He joins the USMC sometime around 1956-1960, which would put him at 27-23 years of service in the Marines. He is obviously prone to act out, so it wouldn't be surprising if he got busted down a couple of times. E7 at 20 years happens today and its not exactly difficult to cap out at E7 if you're not deemed 1SGT material, which Highway wasn't in imp. It stretches beleivability, but is is possible.

[–] EastCoastMariner 14 years ago

The E-6 Staff Sergeant who used to recruit at my high school had 4 hashmarks. So I would venture to say that some MOS' promote slower than others, and yes, some people get demoted for behavior issues. Perhaps if he wasn't a discipline problem he would have been a Master Gunny or Sgt. Major like Choozoo.

Heck, some people pull 20 and retire as E-6.

[–] deenying 13 years ago

The sergeant (an E-5) at the beginning of the film before Highway transfers to Camp Lejeune looked even older than Highway himself.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] tbirdman-1 11 years ago

Yes I'm one of several posters here who also found the movie's timeline
a bit confusing. Your scenario of Gunny Highway's years in service is
believable. He enlisted in the army by the time of his 18th birthday and
served around 4-8 years and then joined the USMC around the mid-1950's
thru early 60's which places him at over 20 years in the corps. Now
the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge in Korea was in 1951 and then 32 years
later we have the American led invasion of Grenada in 1983. Now
Clint Eastwood was born in 1930 which made him 56 years of age in
1986 when this movie was released. And Gunny Highway looked like a
career Marine NCO in his mid to late 50's. Though as you've suggested,
he may have been busted down in rank once or twice during his long
military career. And realistically speaking, most career enlisted
Marines with over 20+ years of active duty are usually in their
50's and looking at retirement down the road. Now if they are
young NCOs at the pay grade of E-4, E-5 or E-6 then there is always
the option of getting an officer's commission with the path of
going onto an officer candidate program which is wide open for
all enlisted Marines. Though I could never have seen Gunny Highway
wanting to even consider such an option as he was an old school
enlisted man who was loyal to the rest of the enlisted Marines.
He took orders from officers though never aspired to become one
himself!

Lawrence In Hot & Sunny Arizona

Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!

[–] hack-stone 12 years ago

He would have some serious broken time to fight in Korea, and still be active duty at the time of Grenada. And BTW, if there was a MOH recipient in the area, everyone on base would know it. He would have a free ride, and anyone trying to bust his stones like his CO did would be out on his ass.

[–] BigRich 12 years ago

BTW, if there was a MOH recipient in the area, everyone on base would know it.

Eh..not really. The Marines and Camp Pendleton was quite different from other branches and bases, especially back in the early 80's. Hell, I got out in early 92 and we weren't even wearing name tags on our uniform. That didn't happen until fiscal 93 (October 92). Point I'm trying to make, people didn't even know your name unless you told them, or was in your unit.

_
Every person that served can be called a veteran, but not every veteran can be called a Marine.

[–] hack-stone 12 years ago

I am inclined to disagree, Rich. Back in the day when Hack was a lot skinnier and could run a lot faster, he recalls reading an article in the base newspaper at Pendleton about a MOH recipient that was assigned to the PMO office. I can't recall if he was a GySgt or a MSgt. The reason that I still remember it was because he was legally blind in one eye. And that was before he enlisted. His eyesight wasn't good enough for active duty, so he joined the reserves. When he went for his physical, they had him cover one eye and read the chart. Then they told him to cover his other eye and read the chart. He covered the same eye. After he got into the reserves, he was able to cross over to active duty, and was shipped over to Vietnam, where he earned his medal. There were two periods of time that I was stationed on Pendleton, and I am pretty sure, but not positive, that the article must have been run some time between March 1983 and April 1984.

BTW, my time at Pendleton was as a radio repairman at 3rd Amtracks, radio technician at 1st ELMACO, and communications technician at 9th Comm Bn. Any chance we crossed paths?

[–] larsvanness 10 years ago

Hi Hack, I like your post. I was at Pendelton during the same time frame as you and even did a tour at the MARS station which was located in the old base commandants house, I'm sure you remember it. A search through Wikipedia revealed the name of M.Sgt. Richard A. Pittman who I believe is the individual that you are referring to although I can't recall reading the article that you mentioned. Was'nt the base newspaper called the Scout back then? My memory is a little fuzzy from that era. Semper Fi!

[–] mchlwilson-28348 7 years ago

MSgt Pittman was definitely the man. I was at Pendleton 84-89 and I met him through my battalion SgtMaj. MSgt Pittman was an MP and he told me he got out of the grunts and joined the MPs because they ride in cars instead of humping everywhere.

[–] tugboatphil 11 years ago

I joined the Army in 1975. I don't recall seeing any WWII veterans, but there were more than a few Korean vets still on active duty. I got out in 78 and went into the Navy in late 78 and saw several WWII vets still around.

Being in a Marine Infantry unit is much harder on the body than shipboard life, but I can see Highway still being on active duty. High year tenure back then wasn't what it is now and having a MOH would negate a lot of the legal trouble he had on the beach.

[–] Prismark10 11 years ago

I would had thought non commissioned officers were unlikely to be around 1983 if they had joined in the early 1950s.

Its that man again!!

[–] oldgoatee 8 years ago

As an MOH recipient they probably did cut the Gunny some slack as far as being RIFed went...

[–] 7 years ago

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