Conflict: Vietnam Character Bios

Conflict: Vietnam is the third entry in the Conflict series, which began with Conflict: Desert Storm. Developer Pivotal Games is taking the series a few decades back to the Vietnam War and is putting you in the role of a new recruit who finds himself cut off behind enemy lines during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Your goal is to make it through 100 miles of booby-trapped and enemy-infested terrain with your squad to get to the capital city of Hue. Today we'll offer a look at the four men who'll be making the perilous journey together.

Staff Sergeant Frank Wier

Rank: Staff Sergeant
Squad role: Leader, Rifleman
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 167 lbs
Build: Muscular, Slim
Age: 28
DOB: March 29, 1940
Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois
Nickname: Ragman

Background:
Frank Wier was born into a blue-collar family of autoworkers. It was assumed that he would follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, but Frank had other ideas. He quickly tired of the drudgery that came with assembly-line work and opted instead to join the Airborne. When the war came, Frank was deployed in the early stages of US mobilization, and he has seen the conflict evolve into the bloody mess it is today.

Personality:
Frank is usually cool and calm when under fire. However, when things go wrong, as is often the case in combat, he's been known to recklessly and fearlessly assault enemy-held ground, pulling wounded men to safety and winning the battle through sheer stubbornness. This disregard for personal well-being and heroism has made him widely respected and liked by all the ranks of Bravo Company.

Specialty/Skills:
Already on his third tour of Vietnam, Frank is a brilliant combat leader and an expert with all types of assault rifles and submachine guns. He also is a crack shot with a pistol.

Preferred Weapons:
M3A1 "Grease Gun" Submachine Gun
Remington 870 Shotgun

Corporal Bruce Lesh

Rank: Corporal
Squad role: Sniper, Grenadier
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 156 lbs
Build: Athletic, Slim
Age: 23
DOB: December 17, 1945
Place of birth: Queens, New York City
Nickname: Junior

Background:
The America that Bruce Lesh had always known was one of poverty and exclusion. Like thousands of other disenfranchised youths, Lesh believed he was destined for a life of petty crime and low-paid work. Bruce was drafted into the Vietnam War, which he saw as a route out of the ghetto. However, the reality of combat and the loss of many close comrades have soured his view, and he now hopes only to get out of this war in one piece.

Personality:
Bruce is "short" on his tour of duty, with only 30 days left before he is due to be shipped back to the US. This has made him prone to panic when under fire. He dislikes Will Shafer intensely, thinking him a white-trash, racist redneck who will get them all killed.

Specialty/Skills:
Bruce is the team's expert sniper and grenadier. He is also experienced with explosives.

Preferred Weapons:
M14 Rifle with Sniper Scope
M79 Grenade Launcher (Bloop Gun)

Corporal Will Shafer

Rank: Corporal
Squad Role: Machine Gunner
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 198 lbs
Build: Heavy, Muscular
Age: 24
DOB: May 3, 1944
Place of birth: Clay County, Alabama
Nickname: Hoss

Background:
Born into a poor farming community, Will seemed destined never to pass beyond the borders of Clay County. Then war arrived. The brutal guerrilla nature of the combat offered Will an outlet for all the pent-up frustration that life in an isolated and introverted community had instilled in him.

Personality:
Will Shafer is an aggressive and slightly unhinged individual. This is one grunt that has been "in country" too long, and he often goes berserk in the heat of combat. He is also often at odds with Bruce Lesh, who thinks he is nothing but a dumb redneck. Shafer in turn thinks Lesh is a smart-mouthed complainer who should learn his place.

Specialty/Skills:
If its maximum firepower you are after, then Will Shafer is the best man for the job. He can lay down withering amounts of firepower to keep the enemy suppressed.

Preferred Weapons:
M60 Light Machine Gun (PIG)
M72 Light Antitank Weapon (LAW)

Private Harold Kahler

Rank: Private
Squad Role: Field Medic
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 152 lbs
Build: Athletic, Slim
Age: 19
DOB: July 6, 1949
Place of birth: Kansas City, Missouri
Nickname: Cherry

Background:
Harold Kahler is the all-American kid from a proud white-collar family who, through hard work, reaped the rewards of 1950s prosperity. Having been to medical school, Harold has a degree of education that sets him apart from most of his fellow soldiers. The reality of the war in Vietnam is about to test his training and his faith in the American dream.

Personality:
Kahler is an even-tempered and usually calm individual, but he has no real combat experience. His first tour of Vietnam will be his trial by fire.

Specialty:
Kahler is an able field medic, but he has no real experience in treating the wounded when under fire.

Preferred Weapon:
M16A1 Assault Rifle