| Samuel Trautman, Colonel | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | First Blood |
| Last appearance | Rambo (flashback scenes only) |
| Created by | David Morrell |
| Portrayed by | Richard Crenna |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Company Leader (field names) |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Colonel |
| Nationality | American |
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.
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Sam Trautman was born in 1929 and joined the United States Army 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.
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."
Sam Trautman was featured in Rambo and the Forces of Freedom 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.
Crenna played a Trautman type character as a send-up in the film Hot Shots! Part Deux, 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.
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