generic military video game character in real life

[Akisa]

Most often in video games set in WW2 manages to pull off crazy stuff time and time again until the video games conclusion. So lets say a single person in the US Army Infantry manages to pull off feats depicted in various ww2 video games, such as being heavily outnumbered, complete important but seemingly impossible objectives single handily. This includes avoiding gun fire (even if it's just causing people to miss), avoiding traps and mines, being proficient in all sorts of firearm or military equipment.

Lets say John Doe continues to service from 1942 to 1980 and still performing his nearly impossible stunts and military exploits in WWII, Korean War and finally Vietnam War. Lets say at age of 92 John Doe still lives in 2016 (he would be 18 in 1942), still remains in active shape and occasionally shows he's capable of out performing most infantry men when training in simulated war games (such miles or paintball etc), though it's only recently has started to conceit to special operation units (such as Rangers, Green Beret etc).

Assuming John Doe was charismatic, how would propaganda/media depict his actions in WWII, Korean War and Vietnam? Instead of Chuck Norris facts, would there be John Doe facts? Would there be an impact on media or military community of a team finally able to take down John Doe in a simulated war game in 2005? How would scientist, and military planners go about how to explain how John Doe perform so well in combat?

[The Glyphstone]

Real life soldiers have done all that, if not all at once, so his military feats wouldn't be humongous impactful. If John Doe becomes famous, it's because he's apparently immortal. Science will want to study the heck out of him to figure out why he doesn't age.

[Akisa]

Well real life events tend to happen once or twice for a career. However John Doe does it routinely, on nearly every mission. In a typical level in a vodeo game a person would probably have earn a medal of honor. In a typical video game even a short one would likely have more than five levels. Lets say John Doe manages to earn 5 medal of hobors in ww2, 3 in Koream War, and 2 in Vietnam, that would be 10 Medal of Honor that's 5 more than next highest number of medal of honor recipient.

As for not aging I was thinking of more of an Old Solid Snake, where he is using experience to augment his body slowing down due to aging.

[GloatingSwine]

Real life soldiers have done all that, if not all at once, so his military feats wouldn't be humongous impactful. If John Doe becomes famous, it's because he's apparently immortal. Science will want to study the heck out of him to figure out why he doesn't age.

Well, real life soldiers might manage one videogame level and win a Medal of Honor/Victoria Cross for it. They'll very rarely do it more than once (often because they tend to not survive, those types of medals are very often posthumous).

[Gnoman]

Well, real life soldiers might manage one videogame level and win a Medal of Honor/Victoria Cross for it. They'll very rarely do it more than once (often because they tend to not survive, those types of medals are very often posthumous).

That or they get taken home -by force if necessary- to give their valuable experience in training and boost civilian morale. That is one of the big reasons Axis fighter pilots and submarine captains often had much higher scores than their Allied counterparts (even when adjusted for the fog of war) - the Allies decided taking one superb guy off the front lines to make ten or twenty pretty good guys was a good bet, while both Germany and Japan decided to just keep sending them out until they didn't come back.

[tomandtish]

Well real life events tend to happen once or twice for a career. However John Doe does it routinely, on nearly every mission. In a typical level in a vodeo game a person would probably have earn a medal of honor. In a typical video game even a short one would likely have more than five levels. Lets say John Doe manages to earn 5 medal of hobors in ww2, 3 in Koream War, and 2 in Vietnam, that would be 10 Medal of Honor that's 5 more than next highest number of medal of honor recipient.

As for not aging I was thinking of more of an Old Solid Snake, where he is using experience to augment his body slowing down due to aging.

Actually, that's 5 times more than the next highest, not 5 more. No one has ever won the Medal of Honor more than twice. There have been 19 people (http://www.cmohs.org/double-recipients.php) (so far) who have done that. There have been 5 people who have won two at the same time, all of them winning both the Army and Navy version (all took place before 1919, when rules changes prevented two medals for the same action).

[Akisa]

Actually, that's 5 times more than the next highest, not 5 more. No one has ever won the Medal of Honor more than twice. There have been 19 people (http://www.cmohs.org/double-recipients.php) (so far) who have done that. There have been 5 people who have won two at the same time, all of them winning both the Army and Navy version (all took place before 1919, when rules changes prevented two medals for the same action).

Typo mistake on my part meant to add times, it was probably 3am posting syndrome.


Anyway I guess sometime between 3-5 medal of honor, I believe USA would send John Doe back to the states to do a round of war bonds and training.

[Eldan]

Wouldn't he eventually be promoted away from frontline combat?

[Akisa]

Wouldn't he eventually be promoted away from frontline combat?


Depends if they're given a battlefield commission.

[Fri]

Can't link anything specific right now since I'm at work, but I'm sure Cracked.com can help you with examples of video-game/movie-characters worthy act of military badassery in real life :smallbiggrin:

[Gnomvid]

To be honest most wars where John Doe's country are involved would probably not take place as John Doe would win them single handed, and the other belligerents would likely avoid wasting manpower in a fruitless endeavor like that, unless they could "remove" John Doe from the equation and then go to war.
every country needs a John Doe that would end pointless wars over night.

But in regards to his performance it will be mostly down to luck.
Some skill is required as base but in combat whether in a game or real life it comes almost purely down to luck, the skill is to recognize and exploit an opportunity when it materializes. the luck part essentially is what lets you come home after the action whereas your buddies around you were turned into red mist and broken bodies by a mortar shell landing in the middle of your group, or the enemy MG only stitching holes in your clothes while your buddies are stitched from one side to the other.

[Talar]

You may be interested in the story of Billy Waugh. He ran away from home during WW2 to join the Marines but was only 16 and was turned away. Most recently I believe he parachuted into Afghanistan at the age of about 74 or something like that as a CIA operative. He is sort of the guy you have described. Having served in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars and various other clandestine operations.