Prior to filming, most of the principal cast joined a core group of 62 extras for boot camp, where they endured a week of rigorous military training as WWII Marines. The production received assistance from the Department of Defense, which made Kaneohe Marine Corps Base available for the actor's basic training. Under the tutelage of Sgt. Maj.
James D. Dever (a retired 25-year veteran of the Marine Corps) and his active-duty Marine instructors, the cast learned how to walk, talk and think like Marines.
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