Former Marine and actor R. Lee Ermey visited Marine Air Control Group 48 (MACG 48) on Saturday, Nov. 6, to motivate runners during the command's birthday ball group run. The celebration of the Marine Corps' 235th anniversary included Saturday evening's  birthday ball which was attended by Ermey, the event's guest of honor, and 1,068 guests.
    "It all went without a hitch," said Capt. Duane Wright, electronics maintenance officer  for Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48. "Everything was well received by the Marines both at the run and the ball."
    Wright noted that Ermey, "Has been doing the Marine thing for 50 years. He is still a Marine at heart.
    "We chose him because of the parts he's played and because you would be hard-pressed to find a Marine who doesn't know who he is. He's an icon from the Marine Corps' perspective."
    A native of Emporia, Kan., Ermey, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1961, served in Vietnam for 14 months and later did two tours in Okinawa, Japan. He rose to the rank of gunnery sergeant, served for 11 years, and was medically retired in 1972.
    This was his first visit to Great Lakes. "I think I've visited just about every base in the U.S., but I never made it to Great Lakes," he said. "But now that I'm here I am very impressed. It's a beautiful base."
    His acting career began in the Philippines and continued in the United States. Ermey, known for his military roles, appeared in numerous movies; his most famous, in 1987, as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in "Full Metal Jacket" for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe.