Dale Dye Dale Adam Dye ( born October 8 , 1944 ) is an American author , actor , presenter , businessman , and retired United States Marine Corps captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War . In military parlance , Dye is a Marine Corps Limited Duty Officer ( LDO ) , also known as a mustang , i . e . , someone who began as an enlisted service member and earned their commission after enlistment , in Dye ' s case rising all the way from Private to Captain . Early life and Marine service . Dye was born in Cape Girardeau , Missouri , the son of Della Grace ( née Koehler ) and Dale Adam Dye . Fellow Marine correspondent Gustav Hasford dubbed him " Daddy D . A " ( as he was among the oldest of the correspondents ) and included him as a character in his first semi - autobiographical Vietnam novel , " The Short - Timers " , and more extensively in his second , " The Phantom Blooper " . The movie based on Hasford ' s first novel , " Full Metal Jacket " , included the " Daddy D . A " character ( played by Keith Hodiak ) , though neither the character nor Dye ' s name is explicitly mentioned in the dialogue . In his book " Dispatches " , journalist Michael Herr provides a vivid picture of Dye during the chaos of the Tet Offensive and the Battle of Huế : " " And there was a Marine correspondent , Sergeant Dale Dye , who sat with a tall yellow flower sticking out of his helmet cover , a really outstanding target . He was rolling his eyes around and saying , ' Oh yes , oh yes , Charlie ' s got his shit together here , this will be bad , ' and smiling happily . It was the same smile I saw a week later when a sniper ' s bullet tore up a wall two inches above his head , odd cause for amusement in anyone but a grunt . " " Writing career . Dye has written a number of novels , including " Run Between The Raindrops " ( 1985 , also published as " Citadel " ) and " Conduct Unbecoming " ( 1992 . ) In addition he wrote the novelisation of the film " Platoon " . Founding " Warriors , Inc . " and other work . After his retirement in 1984 from the United States Marines , Dye founded Warriors , Inc . , a California company that specializes in training actors for realistic military portrayals , for movies of the war genre . In the 1986 movie " Platoon , " he played Captain Harris and served as military technical advisor . He also wrote the novelization based on Oliver Stone ' s screenplay . Dye has also appeared in some of the films of which his company has served . He played a role in the movie " Casualties of War " and also played Colonel Robert F . Sink in the HBO miniseries " Band of Brothers " , on which his company also worked , and is now beginning a directing career . He appeared in " Outbreak " portraying Lieutenant Colonel Briggs , a US Army officer . He plays Theodore Roosevelt ' s superior officer , Colonel Leonard Wood , in the TNT miniseries " Rough Riders " . He has a small role in " Saving Private Ryan " as an aide to General George Catlett Marshall as well as a role playing the Admiral ' s aide , Captain Garza , in " Under Siege " and " Under Siege 2 " . He has another small role in " Spy Game " as Commander Wiley during the rescue sequence , in " Mission Impossible " as Frank Barnes of CIA , in " JFK " as General Y , and in " Starship Troopers " as a high - ranking officer in the aftermath of the Brain Bug capture . Dye played himself in " Entourage " , teaching Vince to scuba dive in preparation for his role in " Aquaman " . He appeared in the 2011 Tom Hanks film " Larry Crowne " . Additionally , Dye used to host a Sunday evening radio show on KFI AM 640 , Los Angeles . He occasionally does fill - in . Dye has also been involved in the " Medal of Honor " series of video games as a consultant . He was featured in two tracks on Hoobastank ' s CD " Every Man for Himself " . He hosted The History Channel ' s documentary series " The Conquerors " . He consulted for Lucas Art 2008 scheduled " Fracture " video game as well as appearing in a cameo role as Col . Robert Sink ( Commander of the 101st Airborne Division ' s 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ) in a video game " " . He was the technical adviser for the 1994 Oliver Stone movie " Natural Born Killers . " Dye has also worked on the HBO companion piece to " Band of Brothers " , the ten - part mini - series " The Pacific " , which was shot in Australia . Dye currently plays Col . Porter in the TNT science fiction series " Falling Skies " . Dye , along with wife Julia and comic book artist Gerry Kissell created one of 2011 ' s critically acclaimed and best selling graphic novels , " " , for publisher IDW Publishing , that tells the story of the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden ' s compound . Military awards . Dye ' s military decorations include :