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GI DIARY - Planning for Vietnam

8/30/2010

9 Comments

 
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Sometimes in the course of doing a graphic novel like VIETNAM STORY, I am sort of surprised at the way things go. Case in point was my Justin Case series, in which the characters of the story ended up on the holodeck of my Star Trek starship, the USS Bunker Hill. I don't think anyone was expecting that, including me. I find it interesting that if you stay with a story long enough, the characters and situations have a way of taking on a life of their own. I have heard novelist talk about that happening when they are writing. If it can happen in a novel, I suppose that it is possible on some level with a graphic novel. Thus, it raises the question for me, where is Vietnam Story going next.
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I would love to be able to answer that question, but I really do not have a clue. Since I started this thing, I have created a lot of new characters. I have  easily tripled the number of Vietnam figures, so there are a lot of characters to introduce and a lot of ways to do it. Whereas I had one squad when I started, I now have two, which is equivalent to half the platoon. Considering the amount of space I usually work in, it won't be too hard to trick people into believing they are looking at an entire platoon. 

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I have also added about half that number in special forces figures as well as a small Marine contingent and an armored gun Jeep. The additional characters allow me to head off in some directions that were not possible before, but if that is not enough. I am well on my way to completing  two modules that will give me a significant set of the firebase, which will add even more possibilities.

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So here's the question, what would you like to see happen in the series? If you were writing it, what would you write next? Is there a certain aspect of the conflict that you would like to see played out. I am not saying that I am going to necessarily do everything that everyone suggests, but I would like to know what you all think about the series and where you think it should go. It will be fun to see if any of us are right. I have some pretty specific ideas about how I want to do certain things, it will be interesting to see if they really turn out that way. As I said, sometimes I am surprised as well. There is no question about one thing though, once the firebase set is finished, the story will be continuing.

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Well, that's all for tonight. Until next time, have a good one!

9 Comments
Panzercommander (HOH)
8/30/2010 12:46:26 pm

I'd love to see some classic patrol ambush episodes - but ones where the patrol is always able to fight their way out of - no need to have the VC/NVA win...

When the firebase is done, I'd like to see artillery/counter artillery skirmishes. Say the VC drag some mortars or rockets up some hills in the surrounding area to harass the firebase (with your Photoshop skills Point Mann you should be able to do some AMAZING shell explosions) - sort of like a Dien Bien Phu situation - that is until our guys zero in with counter-battery fire!

A third option is to focus on some VC/NVA units that might be opposing your two squads - definitely a twist on the norm and would make for some interesting stuff.

Reply
okimbored
8/30/2010 12:50:45 pm

I'm glad your going to do more of that story, I've never been a huge 'Nam fan but your stories are interesting and done well enough for me to want to read them. Also it seems like no one does 'Nam stories, espically at GL's.

As for where to head with the story, there sure are alot of options, how about this, your core group has brief encounters with your other groups creating some single issue spinoffs for your other groups, that way whenever you start getting bored with one story you could let it sit for a bit while you use the other troops. Hell you could even go wild and have Doc be a medic from the Bunker Hill lol, or he could become an addict, there's something you don't see at GL's everyday

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Point Man
8/30/2010 08:58:55 pm

All of that sounds good guys. I have been thinking exactly along the lines that you are talking about with the 'brief encounters' with the other groups, for example my platoon is out in the jungle and runs into the special forces guys, but then the story follows the SF guys. I sort of have something planned to introduce the armored mutt into the story as well. Spinoffs are always a good idea. I definitely want to feature the firebase quite a bit once it is done and there are probably a lot of ways to do that.

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Hammer Si
8/31/2010 12:07:40 am

Don't forget that our involement in Nam started when the French were there ( n US as advisers) till the US ground troops were fully committed in 65 and the last pull out in 71-72..........in combat longer then WW2.

Your charactures need to rotate out ( 'member in country tour was 13 months). Some ideas come to mind:

-Helping Ruff Puffs train.These were local regional popular forces armed and trained to protect their villages.

-Working with SF units that were assigned to the various areas.

-Leave to go to the big S

-getting into an ambush then "piling on" IE the ambush turns into a fur ball involving regiments from both sides.

-daily mortoring

-'newbies' or the FNG joiming the unit

-horse antics......someone was always playing practical jokes to relieve some of the boredom.

-the sir assualt........sticks and sticks of Hueys landing at some LZ

-and swing way off target...the group is beamed up (during a major monsoon) onto a alien space craft and forced to fight as mercenaries for a species that enslaves them to settle inter galactic wars over contracts ( a take off from David Drakes Roman Legion that was hijacked into space)

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Hammer Six
8/31/2010 05:11:11 am

Other ideas besides adding spell check:

-Working with ARVN forces

-Lots of Civic Action Projects were done by troops

Use of Armor. Besides the 113 the Army and Marines did use armor to include: WW2/Korea M-24's, M42 "Dusters, M48 and M60 tanks, the not to much thought of 'Sheirdan' and the Marine Ontos come to mind. I do have a 21C M60 that could be used as a background shot and some 1/35 or 1/48 M42 and m48 that might also work. Think I have an M24 somewhere.

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Panzercommander (HOH)
8/31/2010 09:39:03 am

Great ideas Hammer Six! Point Man, you should have some great ideas by now!

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Point Man
8/31/2010 11:49:09 am

Indeed I do, I see that I am not the only crazy one here. It is interesting Hammer Six that you mentioned rotations, a good idea, but it will take a while, so far, in two episodes only a few days have passed. In all the time that I did the Haunted Tank stories, they spanned a time period of a couple of months, maybe three at the outside. It takes me a really long time to get around to the point I guess.

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Hammer Six
8/31/2010 12:55:14 pm

-Another thought. The normal fiqures quoted on troops on the ground in the RVN (Republic of Viet Nam)at the height was 500,000. Of that 500,000 more then 75% were REMF'S ( rear echelon mother f.....s) supporting the grunt at the front.

The front line grunt was not in combat every day as compared to our GI's in other wars...combat was few and far between.

The political decisions mostly dictated the way the war was run............Hamburger Hikk as an examp;lke. Hill 117 ( the name was given to the elevation of the hill........this has been a practice of military forces around the world since Napolean). The US loses dozens of troops from the 173 ABN over days to take the hill from the VC only to walk away and leave it the VC after the Battle.

The fustration of the front line grunt during the middle war years is understandable. The mission of the soldier has always been to find, fix and kill the enemy and not surrender the ground gained. The actions in Vietnam were......leave a fortified position , find the enemy, fight the enemy and return to the fortified position.........leaving the ground won to the enemy!

Your guys need a lot of fustration.

Sorry....get wrapped up in those years and friends lost and run off the deep end.

Wars can never have politicians making the decisions. Wars need to be run and controlled by the military (when the reverse happens.....more die un- needlesly)

Six out.

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