Imagining Gomer Pyle

  Imagining Gomer Pyle

Imagining an episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., after they were filming in color (early episodes were filmed in black & white), where the enemy's driven Gomer and his companions deep into the forest, where they're trapped. Pyle's down (injured), his eyes are closed, he's breathing hard, and his body is in an upright position (almost like sitting); with his back resting against a dirt-wall bunker. The scene has: Gomer Pyle, two nameless soldiers, Sgt. Carter, and one high-ranking official; all hunkered down to avoid enemy fire but are themselves out of ammunition to counterattack--or to shoot off, allowing them to fall back.

Pyle starts talking in his clueless and stupid way--as he always does--when Sergeant Carter interrupts him with a direct order: "Pyle, give me your bracelet!" The Sergeant, being Pyle's boot-camp commander, remembered Pyle had crafted a bracelet from 7.62mm M-15 military rounds, back while in recruit training. The ammunition was all linked together; each round being as long as an adult's middle finger. Sgt. Carter had allowed Pyle to create and wear the bracelet "for luck," if Pyle would just SHUT UP.

The two nameless soldiers start asking Pyle "Whys Sgt. Carter want your bracelet?" Gomer Pyle, being a complete idiot, couldn't figure it out either, so told the two nameless soldiers "Gosh, I sure can't imagine." Gomer takes off the bracelet and hands it over to The Sergeant, but Sgt. Carter doesn’t say anything upon receiving it; to which Gomer lets out (loudly) a ridiculous "Goll-ol-ly!" Sergeant still doesn't say a thing; as the camera shows him unhooking the bracelet, then begins loading the belt (correct term for ammo of this fashion) of 7 or 8 brass-cased rounds into his M-15 rifle's breach. The camera starts slowly zooming in on the sergeant's face, which now has a big and toothy smile, reading as if to say, "That big lug-head just gave us the answer outta here!"

-That's it.