Continuity mistake: The length of Sgt. Carter's career in the Marines varies from 14 years to 18 years.

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964)
1 continuity mistake in Season 1 generally - chronological order
Starring: Jim Nabors, Frank Sutton, Ronnie Schell
My Buddy, the War Hero - S1-E25
Factual error: Gunnery Sgt Jim Mason "Jimbo" only has rifle marksmanship badge and no pistol marksmanship badge on his uniform. As a Marine senior non-commissioned officer he should have both on his uniform like Gunnery Sgt. Carter. (00:21:00)
Gomer Pyle: Golly.
Question: Throughout the whole show Gomer Pyle's rank stays as Private First Class. With how long he had been in the Marines, why was he never given a promotion to a higher rank?
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Answer: If you saw the whole series run, you know that Gomer was a country bumpkin. He fumbled, stumbled and tumbled his way into one disaster after another. There was an episode that questioned why he was never promoted. However, a few years before Jim Nabors died, the real Marine Corps, gave him a ceremonial promotion to the rank of Lance Corporal, which Jim gladly accepted.
Unfortunately, I never saw all the episodes. Only a few episodes and a clip of the episode where he sings "The Impossible Dream" which made me wonder why he was still a PFC. Thanks so much for the info.