They've come to kill the rooster (An RP proposal)

[MaiusImperium]

Fortunate Son (An RP proposal)

The year is 1968, the place is Saigon, and all hell is breaking loose. There are half a million American soldiers in Vietnam now, it is a time of great deeds, foul and fair. It also a time of madness, where lesser men are given charge of soldiers, let loose to run amuck in the countryside. Men pour liquid fire and carcinogens from the sky on the forests, helicopters hover over the bush like angels of dead, spitting fire and fury down on the people below and the nights are filled the relentless pounding of the big guns.

Charlie is everywhere, there is no meaningful respite, for every hour of uninterrupted sleep there are two filled with explosions and the cries of the wounded. Even Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam is not safe. There is no such thing as the “frontlines”, the entire country is a frontline.

I shall be playing Lieutenant Daniel “Webby” Webber, of the 82nd Airborne division. A man in his late 20s/ early 30s who has already served one tour of Vietnam in the earlier years of the way. When he returned from his first tour he was a broken man, he had seen things, done things, that he’d never be able to forgive himself for. His marriage fell apart, his wife barely knew the man who came back from the carnage. It is a tragic, but all too familiar story from that period of history. Daniel soon after lost himself to drugs and alcohol abuse, barely managing to pin down his job. Now he is back for a second tour, conscripted back into his old unit.

3rd Brigade of the 82nd has just been taken from the hairy action around Hue to defend the air base at Tan Son Nhut. Compared to the vicious urban fighting around Hue it’s practically a vacation. Daniel looks forward to enjoying some more R’n’R, amongst less strenuous work like buiding trenches and manning AAA guns.

Plus, the USO show is coming along and he’s not to shy away from making a few advances towards the pretty girls they get in to entertain the troops.


What do I need?

I need a female lead to play off my character. But I'm also open to other players who are interested in taking part in the Vietnam experience. It's not a situation I often find here on Lit, and I think it would be a unique setting, to allow a few tortured souls find a little comfort amidst the chaos and death around them.

I'm looking for any characters at all, so long as they're within keeping with the setting. Soldiers, nurses, natives, USO showgirls, civvies.

I’m looking for literate writers who are in it for the long haul. I want real relationships to develop between our characters, and while I LOVE gratuitous and hot sex scenes, there needs to be real emotions and character development put in.

A little familiarity with the Vietnam conflict would be preferred, but it’s not a requirement. Anyone who has seen films such as Platoon, Apocalypse now, Full Metal Jacket should have more than enough feeling for the setting.

Anyone who is interested just post your interest here or PM me.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Maid of Marvels]

Country Joe and The Fish

I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag

Come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send your sons off before it's too late.
You can be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

You can listen to it here: I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag ​

 

[MaiusImperium]

*bumpity bump*

 

[MaiusImperium]

*final bump*

I've had some small interest shown in the thread, but I'm still looking for those who can contribute their own ideas to add to my own. I have changed the remit of the RP somewhat, after I recieved interest from several parties I'm accepting more than just one other player, up to a maximum of around six.

The RP will be taking place in Tan Son Nhat Airbase. For those of you unfamiliar, it was the largest airfield in The Republic of Vietnam and a huge military airbase for American forces.

Just like a great port city, it is full of a myriad if contrasting and interesting characters. It is often the first and last taste of Vietnam for the soldiers coming over from the States, many arrive here and when their tours are over they leave from here.

I would also like people to consider the possibility of playing female characters within the US military. A great many women served in Vietnam and their roles were multiform. From the Army Nurse Corps to language and intelligence specialists to aeriel recon photographers. And when the shit hit the fan they fought and died as the men did. I only mention this as the role of women in the US forces in Vietnam is dramatically underplayed in the media and I think it would be a refreshing perspective for someone to adopt.

Other more civilian roles are of course around, USO girls to entertain the troops, volunteers for the Red Cross, journalists and american civil servants within the South Vietnam goverment infrastructure are all possible.

Given the nature of Tan Son Nhat airbase, I think it would be easy for our characters to mix and mingle, as it is a place that all roads lead to, so to say.

Again, anyone interested please PM me or post here. I apologise to those I haven not yet been able to reply to via PM about their showing of interest, I shall get round to you.

 

[Katamari Roller]

Well, funny that you should post this. I was reading this some time ago: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/01922/catalogo_224.jpg


I dunno if I'll join, though. I have a hard time being active as of late...

 

[Maid of Marvels]

Sorry... Color me stupid but I don't get the reference between that picture and this thread? Enlighten me, grasshopper.

And a bump for a great premise while I'm here.

 

[MaiusImperium]

Phew, where would I be without Wikipedia?

Apocalypse Meow is a three volume manga series written and illustrated by Motofumi Kobayashi. It was originally published in Japan as Cat Shit One in 1998 by Softbank Publishing, but was renamed for the US release. It was published in the UK in 2004 by ADV Manga. It was also released in Poland in 2006, also under the title Cat Shit One (it was going to be called Komando Kocia Kupa in Polish, but the idea was abandoned). It has been released in Spain too, as Cat Shit One, by Glénat in 2006.
Contents

Story

The manga follows three American soldiers in the Vietnam War, Bota, Perky and Rats. All three are all in the recon group called Cat Shit One. Each mission (or chapter) shows the daily activities of the recon group in Vietnam. There are sections of the manga which give brief history and truths behind the war, such as the types of weapons used by different countries and the activities of forces in the war. At the end of volume one there is a chapter called Dog Shit One separate from the main story, showing human characters.

So there you go, Apocalypse Meow! I certainly like that name better than Cat Shit One, those crazy Japanese.

 

[gagonthis]

I'm definitely interested in this thread if you manage to get it off the ground.

30 days and a wake up

 

[Katamari Roller]

Color me interested.

 

[Katamari Roller]

Say, I have an interesting idea for an antagonist. 30-year-old Nina Zvetgorova, the wife of the Russian ambassador to Vietnam, but actually an expert sniper sent to train Viet-cong snipers and skirmishers and test the capabilities of the sniper doctrine in tropical terrain.

 

[MaiusImperium]

I think the idea is fairly interesting. I'm wondering how she will interact with other potential characters. Especially if we got more than one playing American GI's. If she were there as an under cover agent to gain intel for the VC then I could see her maybe getting into bed with higher up american officials, but as a Sniper trainer I'd imagine she would keep a low profile in terms of interaction with american military people.

Also, I'm not entirely sure the Republic of Vietnam (South) had an Russian embassy there, considering Russia and China both propped up North Vietnam with weapons and armour I don't know if they kept diplomatic ties open to their enemies main benefactors.

I will find out. THere's so much I need to read up on.

It might seem like nitpicking to many, but I'm in no rush to launch this thread until we've all got a good idea about the setting and where our characters fit in. I can be patience for this, it is not an easy premise to work with, when you consider the usual faire around here in the SRP. So I intend to take my time. Just thought I'd let everyone know about that now instead of raising hopes of a quick IC thread being put up.

 

[Katamari Roller]

Well, I am sure most countries had a Russian embassy despite the cold atmosphere (pun half intended). After all, how are you going to transmit your threats and warnings through a reliable channel?


As for how my character fits in, there are a few ways for her to do so. First, and most obvious, actually fighting the other characters (but in a very covert way, disguising herself and what-not). In the city, she could pose as the ambassador's wife, or pass herself as just another business man's wife. About spying, if she sees a chance she might take it, but not likely. And in the Viet-Cong camp, she obviously is a sniper trainer.


Also, I'm glad you intend to take this a level above. Me, I read Apocalypse Meow, and it seems fairly realistic (if you put aside... you know... characters being animals) and really puts you in context, so I'm sure I'll have no trouble getting in-character.

 

[Katamari Roller]

Bumpity-bump-bump, muthafuggas!

I'll be creating a character for this one when I get the inspiration, and possibly an awesome avatar.

 

[MaiusImperium]

I should probably post and give everyone an update.

The lovely Maid has done some snooping and deduced that there was no Russian Embassy in the Republic of Vietnam. I always had a suspicion this was so as Vietnam was something of a proxy war. 70% Of the North's weaponry came from Russia.

Furthermore Russian agents were few and far between in South Vietnam, the bulk of them were located in the North where they trained NVA soldiers in the use of Russian armour and aircraft, others may have trained VC cells in guerilla warfare, but only 12 russians were killed in the entire conflict. I can't see a Russian markswoman really having many opportunities for interaction in Saigon.

An undercover agent is a different matter. Though she certainly would adopt an american psuedonym and have a flawless american accent, she would more than likely be a defector. A more reasonable role would be a vietnamese woman in the ARVN with North Vietnam sympathies.

A general note to all involve, this is not a thread that will deal with much conflict. Maid used a very good comparison while we chatted on IM about it yesterady. Think of M.A.S.H. The war is the background for the interactions with characters. I'm not looking for us to line up on different sides and start shooting each other.

There will of course be signs of the conflict everywhere, the airbase will be attacked numerous times by VC through the course of the role play, but this is chiefly a setting for the more mundane personal interactions between our characters to take shape.

I shall keep this thread bumped every now and then and welcome contributions from other members of the board, but again, am in no rush to start this thing until I'm happy with the mix of writers we have in the thread.

 

[Maid of Marvels]

In July of 1954, the Geneva Accord divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel - Ho Chi Minh in the North, Bao Dai in the South. The intent at the time was to hold elections within two years to reunify the country. The US opposed.

In January of 1957, the Soviet Union proposed that North and South be granted a permanent division and given separate seats in the U.N.. The US opposed, unwilling to recognize the Communist North.

Update! 1961: Nikita Krushchev (very vocally) pledged allegiance to "wars of national liberation" around the world. His statement encouraged North Vietnam to escalate their "armed struggle" (gotta love that - 1 out of every 10 US soldier died in combat) to unite Vietnam (read NOT in a friendly manner).

PS Only 11 Russians died during both Vietnam wars. Furthermore, because China and the Soviet Union were at odds during this time, the Chinese were kind enough to allow Russian influence in providing weapons, etc. to back the Viet Cong troops.

Don't get me wrong, I was opposed. On the other hand I have many close friends who were special forces in both Vietnam and Cambodia. One was a POW and not repatriated until 76. Truth, I still wear the bracelet that belongs to SSG Robert F. Scherdin, USSF Cambodia who was MIA in December 1968. His name is on the Wall -- one of the bodies "named" after the final withdrawal of our troops were made.

 

[Katamari Roller]

Aw! But lining up and shooting each other is a part of the fuunnnnn...!


Ok then, let me see... how about pulling off a leaf from Cat Shit One? Basically, the wife of a French businessman helping the communists take the country. Supposing the business people in Vietnam were paying some money to the NVA to have their properties respected, she would be interested in both having her husband killed so she would have control of his fortune, and supporting the communist cause.

Sounds good? Maybe she could be an agent for the NVA. If her husband had control over sea traffic, his fleet could be used to ferry in supplies for the guerrillas in cities and nearby fields, or sneaking agents in and out of South Vietnam. And she could seduce officers, or arrange to have them killed in terrorist bombings. Hell, she could just go for arranging the bombings herself to punish those who don't support the Communist cause.