Between October 11, 1962 and August 31, 1966 the television airwaves were graced with the American Comedy McHale's Navy. The show told the story of a small group of seamen who are led by Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale played by Ernest Borgnine. Borgnine was a Navy veteran serving prior to and during WWII. In the role of McHale he found himself doing the things he couldn't do in the real Navy such as water skiing behind a PT Boat.
As Borgnine would later recount* two years into the show he was called by the Pentagon and asked to come have lunch with the Secretary of the Navy's Office. Borgnine asked why he was called in for the lunch and the response was, “You know something? You’re the greatest recruiter we’ve ever had."
-Professor Walter
*Read the full interview article with Ernest Borgnine by Jim Kushlan at http://www.americanwii.com.
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