[centre][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200204/ec7d7c2e2a5e349f30764c2685311880.png[/img] [hr] [/centre] [centre][hider=Sgt. Whittaker] [table][row][/row][row][cell] [right] [img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/512765855143034883/673700304759554097/unknown.png[/img] [/right] [/cell] [cell] [color=07D389][sub][h2]Lucas J. Whittaker[/h2] '[i]Lighter[/i]'[/sub][/color] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup] [color=Silver][i] 5'11" | 83kg | 24 Years | Heterosexual Birthplace: Ambler, Pennsylvania Sergeant - 13718599[/i][/color] [/cell][/row][/table] [color=07D389][sub][h2][b]P[/b]rofile[/h2][/sub][/color] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup][indent][color=07D389][b][u] Appearance [/u][/b][/color] [indent][color=Silver]Standing at a levelled 5'11" in height, Lucas doesn't hold any out of the ordinary traits for any servicemen stationed in Vietnam. Though as well built as many of the other soldiers he's surrounded by, Lucas has at least the endurance and energy to maintain himself in his year long service. Though his documented military photograph above shows a clean shaven fellow, Lucas has since grown out a small amount of [url=https://previews.123rf.com/images/cristalov/cristalov1811/cristalov181100003/117922714-close-up-beard-over-white-background.jpg]facial hair[/url]. Lucas currently has short, light brown hair bordering a golden orange tone, as a result of a ginger mother and brunette father. His eyes are a natural dark green, blending into his uniform rather fittingly. Behind what are usually tired eyelids lies a commonly stressed and exhausted gaze built up from the months of fighting. Like most unfortunate soldiers, grime and dirt builds up on their skin overtime. No matter how many times Lucas washes it off, it always finds its way back, as it does to every soldier. On the topic of uniforms, the [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/19/5c/d3/195cd30a56def343b4896c7291c0c73d.jpg]on-duty attire[/url] of Lucas hasn't been tampered with too much, but its grime and grit is far from its original self when he first wore it. Lucas prefers to roll up his sleeves and at least give some air into his body, loosening his shirt and fighting more lightly than he previously would have. As a potential Squad Leader, he is burdened by the equipment and webbing that comes with such a role, forcing him to ensure he has the energy and strength to carry the gear placed onto him. Atop of his helmet, familiar scribbles and jargon of a tired man can be seen all across it. Scribbles such as crossed out months, all leading up to December, remain etched into the flanks of it, whilst the back simply reads [i]"Let me Sleep!"[/i] A small old vietcong flask is strapped to the other side of his helmet, differentiating from the usual matchbox look adopted by his comrades. Off duty, he still retains his military fatigues, simply stripping down all the gear, webbing and additional baggage on top. Occasionally Lucas will don a military cap, though only to shield his eyes from the scorching heat. [/color] [/indent] [indent][color=07D389][b][u] Personality [/u][/b][/color] [indent][color=Silver]Lucas has been described by his peers with a single adjective: [i][b]Drained[/b][/i]. Having been amongst the very first to set foot into Vietnam, the Sergeant has seen the full extent of the war. Vietnam has become his second home, and he tends to keep his eyes on his surroundings at all times, regardless of how safe or far from combat he really is. That being said, Lucas isn't broken. He attempts to maintain his once cheerful outlook on life, knowing full well that a smile on one's face was always enough to brighten the worst of situations. Wandering around aimlessly has led to some of the strongest individuals breaking in the loneliness of the Vietnamese jungle. So, simply to appease his friends and higher officers, Lucas tends to tell himself that the war isn't as bad as people make it seem. Regardless on his morality, anger and distress had built up over the years to come, clouding his judgement on occasion. Yet despite this disfigurement of decision-making, Lucas has been described as a reliable NCO with an affinity for exploring different opportunities until there weren't any left. A testament to the common veteran, he seemingly hasn't snapped and still remains considerably capable of following orders given to him, as long as he could make some sort of logical conclusion out of why they were given. Eagerness has always been a strong feat of his own, yet cautiousness is just as vital to his own survival. The year in Vietnam has taught him not to let his mind wander, lest he were to fall to one of the thousands of traps set for him. Indefinitely, Lucas is nothing like his former self. Before he was sent to Vietnam, he held a strong vocal pride for his home, his comrades and his superiors. The textbook soldier was his quota to fill. It made him easy to ignore, one of the hundreds of thousands; he wasn't unique. When deployed, the way the war has shaped Lucas has led to him developing more of a personal view on the world, one that has taught him the importance of keeping his allies close and his enemies closer. Without a doubt, he's still quite the conversationalist and does enjoy joking around as a means to numb the agony of war, but overconfidence and the allies around him that take their safety for granted have occasionally bashed heads against his own, as the same has happened with his Commanding Officers. Staying in the peaceful, yet bustling, cities nearby has always been a pastime used to cope with a crippling hole within his heart - the family and friends he left behind in America. However, on a lighter note, it isn't rare to see Lucas making small performances with the Platoon's acoustic guitar or writing down his notes and journal entries on occasion, just to jog his mind back into the realm of sanity.[/color] [/indent] [/indent] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup][indent][color=07D389][b][u] Rank and Role [/u][/b][/color] [indent][color=Silver]Sergeant - Squad Leader / Fireteam Leader (Varying)[/color] [/indent] [/indent] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup][indent][color=07D389][b][u] Biography [/u][/b][/color] [color=Silver]Born in Ambler, Pennsylvania, in 1935, Lucas J. Whittaker was the youngest of two brothers at the time. Quiet, though not introverted, he led a typical lifestyle as any boy did. He spent most of his childhood going to school, playing around and listening to the progression of a war beyond United States soil. At the age of 9, in 1944, his father joined the United States Army as a Tank Commander, eventually fighting in both the Pacific and European theatres before the war came to a conclusion. Separated from his father, for the next four years Lucas set his focus to education and maintaining a close connection to his mother, who still remained distressed by the fact her husband had gone to serve. Any time an ounce of bad news came back to the United States, she dreaded the worst and suspected her own lover had been killed in action, regardless of him being anywhere near the battle. Her woes were somewhat wasted as she eventually reunited with him in 1948 upon the war's conclusion. Life became rough immediately after. Though only 13, Lucas noticed the changes in his father quickly, how he became tiresome, found it difficult to adjust to life outside of the military and even spoke to his family in a formal dialect commonly found in the war. Lucas' older brother fell out with his father more so than often, making family life hard to properly adjust to. However, Lucas himself maintained a strong and steady relationship with his father, sitting down and listening to his incessant stories of war. Eventually, his talk about friendship struck a small nerve in Lucas. He had no real aspirations beforehand, other than his small interest in music. Once he finished school at 18, Lucas was granted permission from his parents to enlist into the United States Military in 1955, just as the tensions of the world were reaching undesirable heights. Life in the military was exciting, though for all the wrong reasons. Past training and never-ending drill sections, the grim reminder that a war could break out at any moment struck a pain in the hearts of every enlistee. Constant news about a foreign civil war in Vietnam became the talk of every soldier's mind. New candidates for the following year's election would always make promises about the threats of communism, and for a long while Lucas rolled along with their ideological crusades. On the second year of his service, Lucas was sent to several garrisoned islands in the pacific, as well as sometimes being called for assistance in training new recruits abroad. One such assignment saw him go to Vietnam for the first time, where everything seemed peaceful and beautiful. During his stay, he never saw the war as it was, nor did he know whether or not he'd participate in it in the future. President Richmond's policy to help contain communism lay in providing their allies with the necessary tools to do so. Alongside his platoon, Lucas acted as an assistant to training ARVN soldiers, all who seemed lacking in strategic value upon first glance. He never understood why he was there, only that he had to be there because someone had ordered him too. Within a few months, he was sent home with the rest of his platoon, eventually being granted a promotion from Private First-Class to Corporal for taking the time to [i]help breed the new world of democracy[/i]. All in all, it was an over-exaggeration of what his platoon had truly done, but the new chevrons were a lovely addition to his clothing. During his "peacetime" service, he'd picked up the acoustic guitar to pass the time, giving himself a new tool to mess with. Come 1958 and the news finally broke out. War had been declared on the Northern Vietnamese movement, and so within days Lucas had to pack his bags and brace for his first real assignment. Just like his brothers and sisters in arms, all who had received the information at the same time, he felt confident about the upcoming engagements ahead. The United States of America had been the talk of the world, many bloating its influence and capabilities through the news and common international relations. Armed with new weapons and a slight urge to put his training to use, Lucas joined the first wave into Vietnam, thinking to himself that he was prepared for the journey ahead of him. And as he hadn't expected, the reality was far from his expectation. 1958 was the year that began to shape Lucas for who he really was. Patrols weren't a boring assignment anymore like they were back in the States, here they were the difference between life and death. One moment, he'd be talking to a friend he'd known for years, only for them to fall into a pit of punji spikes. Stress layered on top of him, and over the course of the year Lucas partook in several skirmishes and two major operations. Every battle was fuelled with bloody rage. Ammunition flew in every direction, cleanly piercing both friend and foe. Sometimes the now infamous Vietcong were their adversary, other times the NVA. The jungle became not only a place to fear, but a state of mind. Anxiety toyed with its victims in the jungle, tying them to trees of horror and plunging their hearts into pits of insecurity. Everyday he saw someone, either hurt or mangled, shot or blown to pieces. Every day he became slightly less trustworthy of those around him, be they enemy soldiers or simple villagers looking to make their way in the world. He saw people he knew snap, break apart and fall into strange underworlds of chaos. One day it'd be a guitar serenade to keep his allies happy, other days it was heading into the depths of the jungle to retrieve the pilots of a downed helicopter. He stopped writing home to his parents, instead getting someone else to do it for him. It told them he was still alive, even if it wasn't him saying it. Eventually, he found yet another promotion come his way, putting him in command of fireteams and occasionally an entire squad. Missions became more about his perception and ability to remain headstrong, meaning he forcefully whipped his mental state into one of practicality. His fears were now a mantle for his will to keep his men and women alive. 1959: Yet another countless wave of soldiers were soon to head their way. It had been over a year since the war had started, nearly a year and a half. It was hard to tell who was winning and who was losing. Ground meant little to Lucas, only results from each battle. Taking territory was about as important as knowing which toilet the local Captain had pissed in. He kept his friends close and attempted to maintain relations with all those around him, unaware that the next potential wave may have held more than he'd experienced beforehand. And at the end of it all, he yearned for the sweet relief of stress, hoping to finally settle beside a comrade and spend a day leaving his woes aside for happiness.[/color] [/indent] [/indent] [color=07D389][sub][h2][b] E[/b]quipment[/h2][/sub][/color] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup] [indent] [color=07D389][b][u] Field and On-Duty [/u][/b][/color] [color=silver][list] [*][url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/42/e9/9d/42e99da69929243d44329311367f4770.jpg]M21A2 Service Rifle - Nydar Reflector Sight and Bipod Emplacement[/url] [*][url=https://www.legacy-collectibles.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9d08971813a040f8f96067a40f75c615/i/m/img_1521_5.jpg]M1911A1[/url] [*][url=https://argocoins.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2_19b-001.jpg]M7 Bayonet[/url] [*][url=https://www.serviceofsupply.com/wp-content/uploads/Vietnam-M18-Smoke-Reprduction-Grenades-3.jpg]M18 Smoke Grenades[/url] [*][url=https://static.wixstatic.com/media/77e499_f06b280ca35649d99ea68e1a9df49f4c~mv2_d_2905_1430_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_2905,h_1430,al_c,q_85/77e499_f06b280ca35649d99ea68e1a9df49f4c~mv2_d_2905_1430_s_2.jpg]M1A1 Thompson[/url] - [i]Dependent on Operation[/i] [*][url=https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/368/96658/49282574_1_x.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&version=1479509741&width=440]M19 Binoculars[/url] and Navigation Kit [*][url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7c/1e/94/7c1e9486013b9a31c560305baee7211c.jpg]Standard Issue Webbing[/url] [*][url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ca/b1/36/cab136594c502d249a4877df2b1eb72e.jpg]Leather Journal[/url] [/list][/color] [/indent] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup][indent][color=07D389][b][u] Theme [/u][/b][/color] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzrYgDnewSI[/youtube] [/indent] [hr] [/hider][/centre]