April 17th, 2025
20minute read
One of Americas most well-known military storytellers, Capt.
Dale Dyes personal war story began in 1964 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
Retiring from the Marine Corps as a captain in 1984, he incorporated Warriors, Inc. the following year.
Capt. Dale Dye, respected military/technical advisor for Hollywood as well as a renowned actor and writer, is also a valued contributor toThe Armory Life. Image: Alex Joseph/Springfield Armory
Dyes work has not been limited to only being behind the cameras.
Along the way, he has appeared in numerous films and television shows and is also a celebrated novelist.
He is also a close, personal friend.
Dye is shown here (center) with the primary cast members from the film “Saving Private Ryan”, on which he was Senior Military Advisor. Image: DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures
Its truly a privilege and an honor to interview him forThe Armory Life.
Thank you, Capt.
Dye, for taking the time to talk with us.
Dye served as the Senior Military Advisor for the “Masters of the Air” miniseries on Apple TV+ and trained the B-17 air gunners. Image: Apple TV+.
The Armory Life(TAL):Lets start at the beginning.
Tell us about your formative years and how they prepared you for the life youve led.
I also devoured a lot of movies and books that fueled my fascination with the military experience.
In addition to providing his in-depth understanding of military topics as an advisor, Dye also has an impressive background as an actor in front of the cameras. Image: Alex Joseph/Springfield Armory
My early influences were shaped by tales I heard from World War II vets.
I hung on their every word, and I let my imagination run.
I begged to be sent to military school.
Dye told us he enjoys portraying actual historical characters. He is shown here as Col. Robert F. Sink in “Band of Brothers”. Image: HBO/DreamWorks Pictures
I just couldnt hack the heavy engineering stuff.
The military seemed like a natural choice.
It proved to be the best decision of my young life.
Dye conducts a weapons class in the Australian bush for the cast of “The Great Raid”. Training included care and use of all basic WW II infantry weapons including rifles, pistols and machine guns. Image courtesy of Dale Dye
TAL:You were considered a true grunt during the Vietnam War.
While fighting a war is hard enough, you also had the responsibility of reporting on the conflict.
Can you tell us about your work as a combat correspondent?
Capt. Dale Dye has a long and storied history as a military advisor as well as an actor for numerous films and shows. Shown here on the set of “Masters of the Air.” Image: Apple TV+
Thats what I was after, so I pleaded to become an infantryman.
The idea was to illuminate the varied and best aspects of the Corps.
And we were constantly on the move accompanying the grunts wherever they went.
Dye has been regularly carrying a Desert FDE Hellcat Pro 9mm pistol topped with a red dot optic in a Galco IWB holster. Image: Alex Joseph/Springfield Armory
That sort of activity got a lot of us wounded several times.
We werent doing the major macro-level reporting on events of the war.
There were plenty of civilian correspondents to do that.
On Curracloe Beach in southeast Ireland, Dye orients Tom Hanks on American and German positions during the filming of “Saving Private Ryan.” The seven-mile stretch of Irish sand filled in for Omaha Beach during the D-Day portions of the award-winning film. Image: DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures
We wanted to show we were capable and willing to add firepower when needed.
I thought he meant something like Jarhead, but he explained it was J-A-R … Just Another Rifle.
TAL:Nearly 50 years have passed since the end of the Vietnam War.
The Armory Lifeauthor Dale Dye and Michael J. Fox in the movie “Casualties of War.” Image: Columbia Pictures
Ten bloody years of American sacrifice, leading to 58,000 killed in action.
It was the beginning of an angry and enduring loss of faith in our government and in our military.
Thats as unfair as it is unfortunate.
Dye ensured that the actors in “Masters of the Air” understood the perils and difficulties the men they were portraying faced. Image: Apple TV+
We saw it as giving something back to a nation that nurtured us in freedom and patriotism.
All the rest is white noise.
These days we call that kind of urban combat MOUT, or Military Operations in Urban Terrain.
Dye has a hard-earned reputation in Hollywood as an advisor for his commitment to making films and television as technically accurate as possible. Image: Alex Joseph/Springfield Armory
I made up my own acronym: FISH, or Fighting In Someones House.
None of us had any experience with that kind of combat.
We had been trained for and had experience in combat in heavy jungle, small villages or rice paddies.
Dye has penned the fictional “Shake Davis” series of novels, which are available from Warriors Publishing Group. Image: Carson McDaniel/Springfield Armory
It was a classic example of the Marine Corps timeless ability to adapt, innovate and overcome.
We demonstrated that once again during the frustrating years our military spent in Middle East combat.
It never fails to improve my outlook and bolster my morale.
TAL:After Vietnam, you spent some time in war-torn Beirut as a mustang officer.
What are your reflections on your service in Lebanon with the Multinational Force in the early 1980s?
Our avowed mission was to provide presence, which was nebulous at best.
That gave them a perfect opportunity to stick it to us without having to worry much about retaliation.
I stayed in Beirut through a couple of rotations.
I was a mustang (former enlisted) captain by that time, and I could see it coming.
In some ways, I believe it was a self-inflicted wound that could and should have been avoided.
What was that transition like, and what challenges did you face?
I had no interest in being a regulation-bound law enforcement officer.
If I went to work for some defense contractor, Id be bored to death in six months.
What I needed was a creative pursuit.
Without realizing it, I was a confirmed movie buff … especially anything to do with the military.
They didnt reflect what I knew as reality among soldiers, and about war in general.
So, I packed my seabag and headed for Hollywood.
TAL:Your desire to bring realism to war films was finally realized in Oliver Stones Platoon.
In reality, what I did get was storytelling and in the end, thats what a movie is.
Its telling a fascinating story through words and pictures.
TAL:Your realistic boot camp training sessions for the actors are legendary.
How did they come about?
Thats why they call it acting, right?
Its a recipe for disaster in my book.
I wanted actors to understand the reality before they tried to act it.
Done properly with the right guidance, training becomes reality, and that reality comes through in their performance.
Could you tell us a little about that?
Youve taught them about our black humor and our way of thinking under extreme stress.
Youve brought them to understand all the little quirks and kinks that mark the true soldier.
Not always, but usually.
The key is to know where that line between realistic experience and stupidity lies and acknowledge it.
I also came to understand that serious actors as opposed to wannabe movie stars welcome that kind of challenge.
I let them modify their gear and uniforms the way we do with our stuff in combat.
All of this leads to valuable insights that show up on the screen.
Of course, I believe in leading from the front.
I never demand an actor in training do something I cant demonstrate and accomplish first.
In that way, they also learn a bit about leadership and military discipline.
We trained for three weeks in the Philippine jungles prior to shooting on Platoon.
We had some bumps, bruises and serious strains, but nothing that required evac or hospital treatment.
Can you share a few of your favorite Hollywood stories?
There are no stars in my training outfits and no deference to standing or reputation.
I run an equal-opportunity school of hard knocks.
To me during training, they are just recruits or new guys into the outfit that require attention.
I teach respect for the soldier and make them understand that soldier deserves appropriate portrayal.
That makes us kindred spirits.
And with directors, its much the same.
Steven Spielberg is a history buff, as is Tom Hanks.
They want to get it right.
TAL:What were your top five war movies produced before you got into the film industry?
Gene Evans gives a tour de force performance as grizzled Sgt.
I would include The Big Red One, and practically any other war movie with Lee Marvin.
I really like Patton, but just for George C. Scotts performance.
The details are terrible.
Id also have to include The Sand Pebbles, but there are many more.
I enjoy working in front of the cameras.
I guess its that creative bug biting the hell out of me.
Without an actual count, Id suspect Ive played roles in about 40 or more films and television projects.
I love to do comedy, but dont get much chance to show that side of my personality.
TAL:Before Hollywood, you transitioned from combat correspondent to fiction writer.
What was it like to write your first book?
Would you describe that as a cathartic experience?
That first book met with some critical success, so I continued to write.
As Im looking at my bookshelves, I see about 15 books Ive written over the years.
Im an avid reader.
When Im not doing anything else, Ive got my nose buried in a book or a Kindle.
That pursuit often provides fodder.
Eventually, it becomes an article like you might see inThe Armory Life, a book or a screenplay.
[Be sure to readDale Dyes articles onThe Armory Life.]
TAL:How did Warriors, Inc. come about?
I couldnt do all the work as a one-man band.
We have now expanded to broader worldwide horizons and reorganized as Warriors Global.
Theres a certain mystique that comes with having Capt.
Dye and Warriors working on a production, and Im happy to capitalize on that.
We have built an outstanding reputation in the film and television community.
TAL:It seems that your wife Julia Dye is just as much of a historian as you are.
How did you two meet?
She was one of the first and few females weve taken to the field for training on a movie.
She was and is a fascinating character as well as a talented and kindred spirit.
Theres much more to the story, but she tells it better than I do.
Later, we fell in love.
Not a bad way for a relationship to progress.
TAL:Dale, lets talk about firearms and shooting.
What are your favorite types of recreational shooting, and do you get much trigger time?
DD:I love shooting and have as long as I can remember.
I tend to specialize in military-style firearms.
Just shooting these old warhorse weapons keeps me humble and in the right mindset for my work.
And shooting regularly is imminently easier here in Texas than it was when I was in LA.
Folks in Texas understand and respect individual freedoms, and that includes the right of self-defense.
Its inspiring and refreshing.
TAL:What can you tell us about shooting yourSpringfield Hellcat Pro?
One of the things that caught my eye was the Desert FDE Hellcat Pro in 9mm.
It just seemed to have all the right stuff, particularly for concealed carry.
Great ergonomics and completely controllable in quick double-taps.
Im now regularly walking out with it in an appendix carry position.
That little gun is a winner even for a guy who loves Old Slabsides!
TAL:Do you have any other projects that youd like to talk about?
DD:I can tell you that Im working diligently on my autobiography.
I cant provide you with a specific publication date, but Ill have it done as soon as possible.
TAL:Thank you for taking the time to give us this fascinating insight into your life.
DD:It was my pleasure.
Some say I changed the way Hollywood makes war and military movies.
That would make a fine epitaph.
Many of these locations have a connection to Marine Corps history.
Shakes best buddy in the books is his real-life best friend, Mike Stokey.
Dye first met Stokey during his time in Vietnam, and they have been friends for half a century.
Stokey is also the XO of Warriors, Global.
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