During the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, a group of United States Marine Corps recruits arrive at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, for United States Marine Corps Recruit Training. The ruthless drill instructor, Hartman employs forceful methods to turn the recruits into combat-ready Marines. Among the recruits are privates "Joker", "Cowboy", and the overweight and dim-witted Leonard Lawrence, whom Hartman nicknames "Gomer Pyle".