R. Lee Ermey Musical Road

This location honors R. Lee “Gunny” Ermey, who was a decorated Marine and an actor in movies and on television. Gunny is the only Marine to have been brought out of retirement and promoted. In 2002, the Marine Corps promoted Ermey to E-7 Gunnery Sergeant, the rank he portrayed in the movie Full Metal Jacket.In 2018 the city of Palmdale created a permanent tribute to Gunny by renaming Avenue N as R. Lee Ermey Avenue He and his family lived nearby for 24 years.This roadway has a special feature, a narrow strip of intermittent grooves near the right shoulder, similar to rumble strips on roadways. As you drive over these grooves, the road will produce about 30 seconds of the “Marines’ Hymn.”

It is an improvement over the Musical Road in nearby Lancaster, which was constructed by workers who did not understand their instructions. At this location, just under a mile east of the 14 freeway, the grooves are along the eastbound side, and signs recommend driving 45 miles per hour, in an area where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. (Tip: The music is louder with the windows open on the right side of your vehicle.)Just beyond the Musical Road at Sierra Highway is BJ’s Corner, where observers watch for military aircraft taking off from Air Force Plant 42, home of the B-1, B-2, F-117, Space Shuttle, and the new B-21 Stealth Bomber.