--- title: "Sergeant Slaughter really was a sergeant of Marines" date: "2020-04-29" modified: "2020-10-30" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/sgt-slaughter-real-sergeant/" categories: - "Entertainment" --- # Sergeant Slaughter really was a sergeant of Marines ![]() As if Robert Rudolph Remus wasn't already a badass wrestling name on its own, upon becoming one of the now-WWE's most beloved Superstars, Remus chose the stage name "Sergeant Slaughter." It was appropriate at the time, even wearing his character's trademark Smokey Bear-style campaign hat: Remus was not only a United States Marine, he was also a Drill Instructor. --- Remus will now be known as "Sergeant Slaughter" until the end of time, his beloved character has transcended wrestling into areas even Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson hasn't been able to invade. The WWE's NCO is not only one of the Superstars that turned wrestling into mainstream entertainment worldwide, his definitive strong chin is also in the G.I. Joe universe, as well as the WWE Hall of Fame. Getting there was tough going, though. The man we know as Sgt. Slaughter started his wrestling career way back in the early 1970s, when wrestling was little more than a regional patchwork of stunts and characters, far removed from the international spectacle we know of it today. That all changed when Vince McMahon consolidated wrestling and updated its stodgy image over the course of some thirty years or more. Sgt. Slaughter came to the then-WWF in 1980 as a villain – a "heel" in wrestling terms. But it wasn't until just before 1984 that Remus's character found the popularity we know of today. He's so popular, he still comes around the ring. It was at this time a heel known as the "Iron Sheik" emerged as the World Champion. The Sheik is arguably one of wrestling's greatest villains ever – and every great villain needs a hero. Or in the world of wrestling, a "face" – also known as a babyface, one of the good guys. Enter America's Drill Instructor: Sgt. Slaughter. His feud with the Iron Sheik catapulted the two to mainstream stardom, making Slaughter the second most popular face, second only to Hulk Hogan. It was the pinnacle of his wrestling career. He would take a heel turn in the days of the 1991 Gulf War, sympathizing with the Iraqis and feuding with Hulk Hogan, even losing the World Championship as a result. Still, it's a long way from Parris Island to Madison Square Garden and Sgt. Slaughter packed both. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()