Mail Call
Mail Call is a documentary television program hosted by R. Lee Ermey, a retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant. During each episode, Ermey reads and answers 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 takes his viewers on location to military training areas to film demonstrations. When not on location, Ermey broadcasts from a set resembling a military outpost, including a tent, a Jeep, and various other pieces of military survival gear which have changed throughout the series.
Genre: Comedy, Documentary, Drama
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Episode 53
Episode 53
aired: Sat, Jul 18, 2009
In this episode, R. Lee Ermey demonstrates the firepower of a Krag-Jorgenson rifle from the Spanish-American War, and explains what sank the USS Maine and why we're supposed to remember it.
Episode 52
Episode 52
aired: Sat, Jul 18, 2009
R. Lee Ermey rolls up to Mail Call HQ toting a light machine gun from World War II called the Bren Gun. The Bren gun was a two-man gun that was accurate, reliable, and really, really loud.
Episode 49
Episode 49
aired: Sat, Jul 18, 2009
R. Lee Ermey hosts in a vintage jumpsuit, supported by a team of paratrooper reenactors using and demonstrating the real gear, weapons, and medical evac used during the Invasion of Normandy and through to the end of WWII.
Episode 48
Episode 48
aired: Sat, Jul 18, 2009
Navy Seals are fierce warriors whose missions are so dangerous and hush-hush that most are never reported. These unsung heroes demonstrate many of the weapons that make them so effective on the battlefield.
Episode 47
Episode 47
aired: Fri, Jul 17, 2009
R. Lee Ermey takes answers questions about the fastest army vehicle, tank destroyers, and dive bombers.
Episode 46
Episode 46
aired: Fri, Jul 17, 2009
Lee travels to Fort Irwin to check out the Army's air ambulance - a Blackhawk helicopter with everything it takes to keep our troops alive between the battlefield and hospital, and follows it up with a look at the helicopter from "MASH".
Episode 45
Episode 45
aired: Fri, Jul 17, 2009
What do you do if your tank breaks down in the heat of battle? What is the difference between fast-roping and rappelling? "What is the difference between WW2 Liberty and Victory ships?
Episode 43
Episode 43
aired: Fri, Jul 17, 2009
Lee demonstrates the M3 sub-machine gun, nicknamed the Grease gun, and explains why this cheap simple gun became so important to the American war effort in WW2.
Episode 42
Episode 42
aired: Wed, Jun 24, 2009
R. Lee Ermey takes us on a guided tour of Guided Missile Destroyers, WW1 Aircraft and Aces, and Marines Corps FAST Teams.
Episode 41
Episode 41
aired: Wed, Jun 24, 2009
Lee flies in a new hi-tech blimp, looks at military shot guns and heads to a Navy graveyard.
Episode 40
Episode 40
aired: Wed, Jun 24, 2009
Amazing Aerials: Lee jumps with the Golden Knights, Flying Tigers, and the AC-130U Spooky
Episode 39
Episode 39
aired: Wed, Jun 24, 2009
Why is the Cobra such a bad ass chopper? Who was the real hero of the Berlin Airlift in 1948? What kind of training and gear do our military police get these days?
Episode 38
Episode 38
aired: Wed, May 20, 2009
What can you tell me about the Avenger air defense system? How are military firefighters trained differently than their civilian counter-parts. What does the Kiowa scout helicopter do on the battlefield?
Episode 37
Episode 37
aired: Wed, May 20, 2009
What's it like to take a ride in an F-15? Why was the Army launching all kinds of missiles in the 1940s and 50s? Which WWII sub-machine gun is better, the American Tommy Gun or the German Burp Gun?
Episode 36
Episode 36
aired: Wed, May 20, 2009
How do we train our military pilots? How did the U.S. manage to pull off the daring Doolittle Raid against the Japanese during World War Two? What kind of radios does the military use in the field these days?
Episode 35
Episode 35
aired: Wed, May 20, 2009
What can you tell me about the WW2 armored vehicles they call half tracks? Does the Navy have hydrofoils in their fleet and how fast can they go? What do Air Force combat controllers do?
Episode 13
Episode 13
aired: Wed, Feb 25, 2009
What kind of gear will our soldiers be equipped with on the battlefield of tomorrow? What is Star Wars? What's Gonna Be the Army's New Armored Vehicle?
Episode 12
Episode 12
aired: Wed, Feb 25, 2009
Its been called all sorts of things: beetle bug, blitz buggy, peep and puddle jumper. The jeep was first invented in 1940 by Bantam Car Company.
Episode 11
Episode 11
aired: Wed, Feb 25, 2009
How Does A Grenade Work? What is a LAPES Drop? What's the purpose of dog tags?
Episode 9
Episode 09
aired: Fri, Jan 16, 2009
What is the secret weapon of the Romans? Roman warfare was relentless in pursuit of victory. Their instruments of battle were made from the highest quality materials designed to prepare the Roman soldier for any eventuality. Lee Ermey demonstrates the effectiveness of the secret weapon of the Romans, the Pilum, a javelin or spear like instrument, designed to penetrate armor and punch through shields. What kind of radios did they use in WWII? Good communications are the key to a successful military victory. Without good communications-and army and it's commander are blind-and running a battle blind is a sure route to defeat. A Commander must know how the battle is progressing and his troops must be able to receive his orders and offer situation reports-good communications are the key to victory! What kind of rockets were first used in combat? They can fire deadly explosives great distances with pinpoint accuracy. But history's first rockets were actually glorified firecrackers that were unpredictable, unweildy and guaranteed to cause a panic when fired. Just how did rockets first make their way onto the battlefield?
Episode 7
Episode 07
aired: Fri, Jan 16, 2009
How do you re-fuel a fighter jet in mid air? Lee joins the crew of a KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft, a "flying gas station in the sky," to refuel six F-16 fighter jets. First flown in 1956 and originally designed to refuel long-range bombers during the Cold War, the KC-135 Stratotanker can refuel nearly any type of aircraft anywhere in the world. In this segment, Lee works alongside the boom operator in the rear of the Stratotanker, and gets an amazing close-up view of the refueling operation -- with the F-16s barely 30 feet away. How do ships send messages using signal flags? Ships still send messages using signal flags if they need to maintain radio silence during combat or if their radio equipment fails. The standardized system used around the world is known as the International Code of Signals. It allows people from different countries to use the same set of signals and look up the meanings in a directory published in many different languages. What did soldiers eat on the battlefield? Soldiers can't fight without food. Indeed, Napoleon once stated that an army marches on its stomach. In this segment, we'll look at the evolution of the combat ration, from Civil War Hardtack to the Individual Combat Meal eaten by troops in Vietnam. Along the way, we'll crack open a surviving WWII ration to see what's left of it.
Episode 5
Episode 05
aired: Fri, Jan 16, 2009
How do you operate the LCAC? Ship to shore transfer of US Marine personnel and weaponry has advanced since the Higgins boats and Landing Craft of World War II. Lee Ermey learns how to operate the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft, introduced in the 1980's as part of the US Navy amphibious landing crafts. What kind of saddles did the Cavalry use in the Old West? The three most important things to a US Cavalry soldier was his horse, his weapon, and his saddle. We take a look at some of the saddles throughout history as well as taking a closer look at what a trooper carried with him out on a long march. Additionally, we join saddler, Doug Kidd to show us how a cavalry saddle was made. How do Gas Masks work? When our troops go into battle, they need to worry about more than just bullets and bombs. The basic gas mask technology hasn't changed for 85 years - so we take a look at the evolution of gas masks, get the low down on just how they work and take a look at how the military has been training their troops to trust the important piece of equipment.
Episode 4
Episode 04
aired: Fri, Jan 16, 2009
How did Civil War Cannoneers aim their artillery pieces? R. Lee Ermey investigates how to sight and fire the Civil War era Parrot Gun. This particular ten pounder has a range of about 1900 yards and with a distant target we have the ultimate aiming challenge. Exactly how does night vision technology work? The ability to scope out the enemy in complete darkness has given the US Armed Forces a distinct advantage since the Vietnam conflict. To find out how it's done, we go inside the laboratories of the chief manufacturers of night vision devices and take a look at how night vision has improved over the years. We also are given a sneak peek at the future of the technology. How do you clear a minefield? Clearing a minefield is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Engineers must rely on skill, courage and a variety of mine clearing techniques, some brand new and hi-tech, others decades old - proven to be tried and true. We check out the methods used to clear a minefield.
Episode 3
Episode 03
aired: Fri, Jan 16, 2009
Can a bullet penetrate body armor? On the field of battle, nothing is more important than a piece of equipment that can stop a speeding bullet. R. Lee Ermey takes a look at the evolution of body armor from the Roman gladiators to the modern warrior and at how the miracle fabric, Kevlar, has made the flak vest nearly impenetrable. See how Ermey puts the modern flak vest to the test, literally. How accurate is a medieval crossbow? In this segment we go back to the 12th century to examine the accuracy of the state-of-the-art weapons, the crossbow. R. Lee Ermey and our expert test the accuracy of a medieval crossbow using a variety of bolts and targets. How do World War One pilots shoot through their propellers? In World War One, for the first time the use of planes went beyond their limited role of reconnaissance and developed into flying fighting machines. Pilots started out simply by hurling things at other planes and advanced to mounting machine guns. Ermey finds out what inventions were created to solve this dilemma.
Episode 2
Episode 02
aired: Fri, Jan 16, 2009
What are the different pieces of a Knight's armor? By the middle of the 15th century a fully armed knight was virtually encased in plate armor, the different pieces having been developed by necessity - if a blow got through, a section was redesigned or a new part was created. R. Lee Ermey discovers first hand just what makes up a suit of armor and what it feels like to do combat as a knight. What's in a WWI backpack? The M1910 Infantry Pack was a bunch of flaps and straps weighing just over 50 pounds. It had severe limitations as it often relied on a buddy to get the pack off and on. The segment describes the contents ranging from ammunition, shovel and bayonet to personal items like a shaving kit, extra socks and foot powder. What's inside a Landmine? There are over 1500 different types of landmines, a deadly and destructive weapon. In this segment we trace the history of the landmine back to the American Civil War era and discuss the five components that make up today's anti-tank and anti personnel conventional mines.
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