Colonel Sam Trautman
Encyclopedia
Colonel Samuel "Sam" Trautman is a fictional character in the Rambo novel and film series. His first appearance was in David Morrell
's novel First Blood. His character was expanded on in the film series where he was played by Richard Crenna
, although Kirk Douglas
was cast in the part, been outfitted and shown up on the first day of shooting. It was then that Douglas, already unhappy with the ending, decided more rewrites were required. Director Ted Kotcheff
and producers Mario Kassar
and Andrew G. Vajna strongly disagreed and Douglas left the production. Richard Crenna was then contacted and arrived on set the next day. Marketing stills of Kirk Douglas in the uniform of Col. Trautman exist and are now part of the extras on the DVD of First Blood
.
at the end of World War II
. After serving in the Korean War
, Trautman joined the fledgling Special Forces
and gained a commission. At the start of the Vietnam War
, Trautman began his first combat tour as an adviser to the ARVN. Following his return to the United States
, Trautman was selected to form a unit along the lines of S.O.G.. It was here that Trautman first came face to face with a certain John Rambo
, who at that time was a young man who had left both his home and an abusive father. Over the months in training, Trautman became a substitute father for the young Rambo, especially as Rambo was the youngest of the group. When Trautman completed the group's Special Forces training, they were sent on the first of two tours of Vietnam. Trautman's team received the code name of "Baker Team," and usually consisted of eight men.
Known members - John Rambo
, Delmore Berry, Joseph Danforth, Ortega, Messner, Krackhauer, Colletta, Jorgenson.
Rambo, Berry, and Trautman are said to be Baker Team's only surviving members from Vietnam, though Berry eventually dies of cancer the summer prior to the events of First Blood. By the time of Rambo: First Blood Part II, Trautman was now a member of or attached to Delta Force
and was part of the operation to rescue POW's in Vietnam. Trautman uses his influence to have Rambo released from prison to join the mission in the Far East. Rambo and Trautman are betrayed by the CIA operator Marshall Murdock, who headed the mission along with Trautman, while Rambo escapes from the N.V.A. and their Soviet advisers, and is placed under open arrest.
voiced by Alan Oppenheimer
. Here, he is not only the commanding officer of Rambo, but also of his allies. He would call in Rambo and his allies to fight the criminal organization S.A.V.A.G.E. led by General Warhawk.
, he would even wear similar costume to the one he wore on Rambo III.
In the film Commando
, the character General Franklin Kirby is based on Trautman. Even some of Kirby's lines in a deleted scene are virtual repeats of Trautman's lines from First Blood.
Colonel Roy Campbell from the Metal Gear
series of games is directly based on Trautman. Crenna's appearance was also used for his mugshot in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
.
Heidern, from The King of Fighters, is an homage to Colonel Trautman. This is probably because his subordinate, Ralf Jones, is based on Rambo. The Aircraft Carrier that Heidern is in charge of is also named after Colonel Trautman.
Colonel Troteman, from World of Warcraft
, is an homage to Colonel Trautman.
David Morrell
David Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
's novel First Blood. His character was expanded on in the film series where he was played by Richard Crenna
Richard Crenna
Richard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
, although Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
was cast in the part, been outfitted and shown up on the first day of shooting. It was then that Douglas, already unhappy with the ending, decided more rewrites were required. Director Ted Kotcheff
Ted Kotcheff
Ted Kotcheff , sometimes credited as William Kotcheff or William T. Kotcheff, is a Canadian film and television director, who is well known for his work on several high-profile British television productions and as a director of films such as First Blood.-Early life:Kotcheff was born William...
and producers Mario Kassar
Mario Kassar
Mario F. Kassar is a film producer and industry executive whose projects are frequently in association with Andrew G. Vajna.Kassar was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Working for Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, he was executive producer of several movies starting with Victory in 1981...
and Andrew G. Vajna strongly disagreed and Douglas left the production. Richard Crenna was then contacted and arrived on set the next day. Marketing stills of Kirk Douglas in the uniform of Col. Trautman exist and are now part of the extras on the DVD of First Blood
First Blood
First Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
.
Film
Sam Trautman was born in 1929 and joined the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After serving in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Trautman joined the fledgling Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
and gained a commission. At the start of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Trautman began his first combat tour as an adviser to the ARVN. Following his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Trautman was selected to form a unit along the lines of S.O.G.. It was here that Trautman first came face to face with a certain John Rambo
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
, who at that time was a young man who had left both his home and an abusive father. Over the months in training, Trautman became a substitute father for the young Rambo, especially as Rambo was the youngest of the group. When Trautman completed the group's Special Forces training, they were sent on the first of two tours of Vietnam. Trautman's team received the code name of "Baker Team," and usually consisted of eight men.
Known members - John Rambo
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
, Delmore Berry, Joseph Danforth, Ortega, Messner, Krackhauer, Colletta, Jorgenson.
Rambo, Berry, and Trautman are said to be Baker Team's only surviving members from Vietnam, though Berry eventually dies of cancer the summer prior to the events of First Blood. By the time of Rambo: First Blood Part II, Trautman was now a member of or attached to Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
and was part of the operation to rescue POW's in Vietnam. Trautman uses his influence to have Rambo released from prison to join the mission in the Far East. Rambo and Trautman are betrayed by the CIA operator Marshall Murdock, who headed the mission along with Trautman, while Rambo escapes from the N.V.A. and their Soviet advisers, and is placed under open arrest.
Novel
Trautman's relationship to Rambo in the book First Blood sharply contrasts that portrayed in the movie of the same name. In the book, Rambo barely remembers Trautman, and in fact, after hearing his voice, he strains to recall him. Trautman then identifies himself as "Director of the school that trained you" over the car radio. In the book, Rambo doesn't reply to him, and, in fact, says to himself, "The Bastard. Turning on your own kind [referencing Trautman's assistance to Teasle]." Their one significant interaction comes at the end of the book, when Trautman tells Teasle that he "took the top of his [Rambo's] head off with this shotgun."Cartoon
Sam Trautman was featured in Rambo and the Forces of FreedomRambo and the Forces of Freedom
Rambo: The Force of Freedom is an animated series based on the character of John Rambo, from David Morrell's book First Blood, and the subsequent films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II and adapted for television by story editor/head writer Michael Chain. The cartoon ran for 65 episodes,...
voiced by Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer is an American character actor and voice actor. He has performed numerous roles on live-action television since the 1960s, and has had an active career doing voice work in cartoons since the 1970s.-Early life:...
. Here, he is not only the commanding officer of Rambo, but also of his allies. He would call in Rambo and his allies to fight the criminal organization S.A.V.A.G.E. led by General Warhawk.
In popular culture
Crenna played a Trautman type character as a send-up in the film Hot Shots! Part DeuxHot Shots! Part Deux
Hot Shots! Part Deux is a 1993 comedy/parody film, and a sequel to the 1991 comedy Hot Shots!.Directed again by Jim Abrahams, the film stars Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges, Valeria Golino, Richard Crenna, Brenda Bakke, Miguel Ferrer, Rowan Atkinson, and Jerry Haleva...
, he would even wear similar costume to the one he wore on Rambo III.
In the film Commando
Commando (film)
Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...
, the character General Franklin Kirby is based on Trautman. Even some of Kirby's lines in a deleted scene are virtual repeats of Trautman's lines from First Blood.
Colonel Roy Campbell from the Metal Gear
Metal Gear
Metal Gear is a series of video games.Metal Gear may also refer to:*Metal Gear , bipedal tanks appearing in the Metal Gear series-Metal Gear video game series:...
series of games is directly based on Trautman. Crenna's appearance was also used for his mugshot in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
is an overhead stealth action game that was originally released by Konami in for the MSX2 computer standard exclusively in Japan. Metal Gear 2 was directed and written by Hideo Kojima, who also designed the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear...
.
Heidern, from The King of Fighters, is an homage to Colonel Trautman. This is probably because his subordinate, Ralf Jones, is based on Rambo. The Aircraft Carrier that Heidern is in charge of is also named after Colonel Trautman.
Colonel Troteman, from World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, is an homage to Colonel Trautman.
See also
- Rambo (film series)
- John RamboJohn RamboJohn Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
- List of Rambo characters
- Colonel James BraddockColonel James BraddockColonel James Thomas Braddock is a fictional character and the protagonist in the Missing In Action series of films. He is portrayed by actor and six time world karate champion Chuck Norris...