Indoctrination

Classified Document -- Classified Document

The What's It All About Raid

August 2003: It's time for a whole revamping. I managed it for the Xena site, I'll get to work over here.

Something New: December 2000:

The Long Range Desert Convention is a go! Join fellow fans and special guests in Austin in the spring to celebrate The Rat Patrol, Hogan's Heroes, Garrison's Gorillas, Combat!, Jericho), and other 1960s WW2 shows. Get all the details at the convention page.

Ruth fills us in with a synopsis and commentary on the second of the authorised 1960s Rat Patrol paperbacks, Desert Danger.

Anne's Eclecticon report gives the highlights of this November gathering for Rat Patrol watchers and other media fans.

Still here: An interview with Gary Raymond.


Go straight to Indoctrination
Memorabilia on eBay | Online Club reaches 175 members | Articles and Reviews | The M&M (aka Drinking) Game | Cranking Up A Fine War | Research Library | The Great Eastern Brew Up | Jan shakes up the Episode Guide | Keep that V-Mail Coming! | Message Board | Past News Log

Basic Training | Ship Out to Africa | Briefing | Mobilization | Articles


We've been getting quite a few inquiries lately about where to find RP tapes and merchandise. You can find tapes at online auctions such as eBay, usually for a reasonable price, but consider joining the Yahoo Rat Patrol Club and asking there. Both sources can find you tapes recorded from 16mm master or from uncut broadcasts (sometimes higher quality than the old film masters).

How I learned to stop worrying and love eBay: Rat Patrol memorabilia shows up on eBay all the time. Be cautious about getting into a bidding war -- sellers often list their items as "very rare" or "special first edition," but most items come up again and again (trading cards, board game, books, model kits, comics, dolls, posters, photos, scripts, etc.). Lobby cards from Massacre Harbour are scarcer, but the actual poster is becoming easier to find. Try not to be too disappointed if someone swoops in and outbids you with five seconds to spare. And Caveat Emptor!

From the West Coast Rats: Blues Beans and Spam. Yum. Don't have time to read the entire episode synopsis guide? The West Coast Rats have assembled a handy series-at-a-glance list. Also, from the West Coast Rats Poetry Society: 'Twas The Night Before the Convoy -- Or, Visit From Four Rats.

The Research Library - books and online sources for historical research, recommended and reviewed, with ordering information for the more hard-to-find items. We'd love to hear about books you've enjoyed and found useful, as well as get the heads up on books that don't quite pass inspection.

May 8, the anniversary of V-E day, was also the official publication date for CRANKING UP A FINE WAR by Col. Van Mayhall. He has worked incredibly hard for several years putting together a memoir of his World War II experience, including combat as a company commander and a stint as aide to General "Wild Bill" Weaver. On the personal side, there are stories about meeting Princess Elizabeth, Marlene Dietrich, General Patton, among others. Since it's a continuous story it fills in some gaps in anecdotal collections. It can be found at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online (it takes about a week for delivery, in spite of the listing on the pages). And be sure to ask about it at your local bookstore -- especially tell the independent, small bookstores about it. I'm biased, but I think it would make a terrific gift.

Jan's episode reviews and ratings are being added to the Episode Guide and Shameless Ratings System. If you want to know how many lines Tully had or how gullible Dietrich was that week, this is the place to find out. We've also recently listened to soundtracks from three of Gary Raymond's musical theatre appearances.

Keep that V-Mail coming... It has been great to hear from so many fans of this and other 60s WWII series. If you have any questions, filmography updates, or anything else to contribute, send us e-mail or post it on the message board. We've been busily adding to the GR filmography and are working on some more film reviews. We hope soon to have more details on the other filmographies, too. Also: a few updated links in Mobilization.

The Rat Patrol Club on Yahoo! is a friendly place for fans to hang out and reminisce, to discuss everything from the show to history to the actors. It has 189 members as of mid-December 2000, a lively message board, and has regular chats of varying lengths for various time zones. You can often find members still in the chat room a good four or five hours after the official start time. There are four chats held each week:

You have to join Yahoo! to participate in the chats and message board, but that's easy and free (they just want your demographic information)...just go to Yahoo! and join up. Club members: This way to the Workshop Forum


1. Indoctrination

In 1966 "ABC gave us The Rat Patrol -- four gorgeous GIs in their infamous Leapin' Jeeps...."

What's it all about? Three Americans end up in the North African campaign early in World War II, and with a British sergeant they form an unlikely team as a Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), creating havoc for one German officer in particular while engaging in frontal assaults, subtle espionage, and general explosive mayhem. The tough-as-nails sarge, the winsome but dangerous kid, the silent and enigmatic southerner, and the highly educated Englishman with a streak of Lawrence of Arabia guaranteed all the necessary elements for an action-adventure war show -- and lest we forget, add in the brilliant (but dreadfully unlucky) German officer with a sense of honour and a heart of gold. The Rat Patrol ran two seasons in a half-hour evening slot, contemporary with such programs as Combat!, Twelve O'Clock High, and Garrison's Gorillas. The episode plots ranged from ruminations on war to character studies to -- let's be frank -- nothing but a lotta shooting and blowing things up, all to a rousing and memorable theme by Dominic Frontiere.

What's Where?

  1. Indoctrination: Right here
  2. Basic Training:
  3. Ship Out to Africa: Meet the bad boys
  4. Briefing: Articles, episode guide, various fun, and the Mailing List
  5. Mobilization: Links to sites of historical interest


Indoctrination | Basic Training | Ship Out to Africa | Briefing | Mobilization | Articles


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