Briefing - Captain Samuel Doubletree

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:07:50 GMT

CHARACTER

Personal Statistics

Name: Samuel Lewis Doubletree
Nickname: Sam, Dub. . .for now, anyway. He's bound to acquire more nicknames as he meets more people. Though, those that aren't too fond of him for whatever reason, especially other officers and pencil-pushers, call him "Captain Field Commission". . .a slam on his criticized promotion to captain.
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Birthday: April 19, 1914
Heritage: Texan father, Cajun mother - overall pretty much just waspy
Affiliation: Captain and Bombardier of the Eighth US Army Air Force, 387th squadron based at Chipping-Ongar

Appearance

Basic Overall Physical Description: Sam pretty much sums up the cliche of tall, dark, and handsome; dark brown hair and thick eyebrows, hazel eyes, and a wide grin that practically takes up half of his face. He's more rangy than overly-muscular, very thin, long, gangly limbs. His face is very expressive, always showing his emotions just perfectly. Apart from his horrible posture and awkward height in missions, he moves very gracefully, taking long strides.

Height: He just misses the mark of being too tall for active combat mission duty, standing at 6 foot 3 - although sometimes he thinks they should change the limit. . .there's no way a man his height can fit in the crawlspaces of a plane. He's perhaps the tallest man on base, however tries to blend in by slouching - and has horrible posture as a consequence.

Dress: Mostly his uniform - olive green, neatly pressed tie, sometimes his painted bomber jacket. He wears his army issue Ray-Bans even in the cloudy English weather. Even on leave, he sticks with his uniform for the most part, finding it brings him much social success - and it makes him look dashing! His pants, however, do have a tendency to be a bit too short sometimes, due to his height.

Played By: Lee Pace

Personality

Basic Personality: Captain Doubletree thinks he has a lot to prove. Even with being one of the most successful lead bombardiers in the fighting squadron, having numerous badges of honor, and being one of the most likeable captains on base, he still finds himself unsatisfied. He's nitpicky with himself, never settling for anything - always finding room for improvement. It keeps him busy, after all, which he enjoys. Of course he likes leisure and relaxation, but that all sort of went away with the active combat duty mentality and way of life. Now he finds calm and comfort in self-preservation - practicing his shooting at the makeshift skeet range, polishing his shoes or badges, trimming his hair. If he were any more detail-focused he'd be full-blown obsessive compulsive. Thankfully, he doesn't know what that is. But it's not only chores that Sam finds to occupy his time, he also loves socializing and chatting anyone who is in earshot up. In a word, he's quite the gregarious fellow.

In some ways, he does have a lot to prove. He's not as well-educated and refined in prestigious schools as a lot of the other men are. He's self-taught for the most part, never having had the money to go to college, or a decent high school for that matter. He's not familiar with literature or classical music or opera or anything of the sort; rather, he's very pop-culture savvy. He can tell you anything about the latest movie playing at the USO screen, having read the Hollywood magazines that were sent to the Officer's Club. He can sing along to any song on the Top 40 radio stations. He's an excellent swing-dancer, and the girls love him for it. However, he'd love to be that refined fellow, and tries very hard to seem like he is, actually. However, he finds it easier to look refined rather than act like it. . .and at that, he is successful.

Sam seems to be made to be a leader; although that could be from knowing how much it means to him to be an officer in the military, now his only means of bettering his social status - or so he believes. He's courageous and dedicated, caring more for the safety of the men under his command than his own life. He never exploits the enlisted men for his own personal gain, treating everyone fairly and equal, never derogatory or condescending. He is very charming, the opposite of shy, really, and energetic - though sometimes that energy makes him restless and antsy, sometimes argumentative, and sensitive when he has a case of cabin-fever.

At his work, aiming the bombsight over the targets, he is meticulous to the tiniest detail. He strains his eyes to make sure he hits them just right, knowing how important it is to the cause. He takes missions to the utmost seriousness, but perhaps that's just more common sense. This isn't to say he doesn't know how to have fun - he strives for it. He looks so forward to the USO dances and visits to the pub, mostly to show off his fancy footwork on the dancefloor to the women in town. About that. . .he seems to have a lot of luck with them, but can't exactly keep a serious relationship with any one at a time. And he simply doesn't address it. At all. It's not that he doesn't like women - he just can't maintain more serious relationships (or more physical) with them. Though he can, if he tries.

Sam knows the truth, he just. . .doesn't discuss it. He can't. It's an illness, according to him, and the military psychologists for that matter, and as far as he knows, he's in perfect health. His job depends on it.

Likes: Swing-dancing, big-band, movies, taking walks, planning out nose-art, singing, playing cards, smoking

Dislikes: Classical music, "fancy" literature - as he calls it, boredom, cabin fever and other forms of waiting around.

First Impression: Loud, popular, dashing and charming - though maybe a bit cocky.

Strengths: Sam is an amazing dancer, so much so that the men joke that he should have stayed behind and made it big in pictures. He's got rhythm and loves music, and he can do that fancy flipping-over-the-shoulder stuff to the girls he dances with that they just love. He also has fast, sharp vision and reflexes.

Flaws: Crippling migraines - from having to crouch in the planes so often, as well as backaches - pinched nerves, slipped discs, he has no idea, but he often has to spend time recuperating after long missions in the hospital ward. His cockiness and drive to prove himself to everyone around him can cloud his judgment. Sam is a slow reader, and rarely reads books - opting for magazines with lots of pictures. He is also fiercely competitive - the only instance when a cruel, angry side of him will show it's face.

Goals/Dreams: Bettering his social status.

Fears: People learning too much about his past, being discharged from the Army and/or court-martialled.

FAMILY

Parents: Daniel and Delphine Doubletree

Sibling(s): One younger sister - Blanchefleur

Children: None.

History: At first glance, Captain Doubletree seems to be the epitome of a well-born, gregarious southern gentleman. His demeanor and disposition would place him well in a wealthy Texas oil heir family, living off the wealth of the business. (He has actually fibbed about this to many he's met throughout his life, truth be told.) However, luckily for Sam, looks can be deceiving.

Samuel was born to a lower working class family living in a tiny house outside of Houston, Texas. His father, Daniel, was gone most of the time as he was growing up, working in the oil derricks around Odessa - long hours and backbreaking labor for little money and much effort. His mother, Delphine Bellefontaine, was a Cajun nursemaid from Baton Rouge working for the household and children of a wealthy Shell Oil heir family - that is, until she got married and had children of her own to take care of. Daniel's main joy in life was his beautiful, caring wife and young family, and he overlooked the family's modest circumstances, as did Delpine. Her joy was her first-born Samuel, and later on, their youngest daughter Blanchefleur.

Sam, however, didn't show the same contentment with his family's social status and lack of money. Growing up in Houston, such an economic powerhouse and port city, he had plenty of exposure to the wealthy oil families thriving off of the hard work done by those similar to his father. Sam would see the success of the land, but none of the profit for himself or his family. Even from a young age, he felt inadequate in his tiny house, his hand-me-down clothes from his father, his poor public school education and no spending money. He pretended to listen to his parents when they said money couldn't buy happiness, and they certainly did nothing to cause this "shallow" mentality in their son, but it was all around him; especially during his childhood, during the 1920's.

As he grew up, it was clear that the only way to manage was to simply make the best of it, and merely pretend that he was better off than he was born into. He simply couldn't settle never being able to reach his ambitions, even if he didn't know what they were when he was twelve. However, he knew he wanted more. He got jobs and temporary work wherever he could, using money to buy better clothes, make himself look nicer, get better jobs and then save more money. Of course, he felt guilted into giving some to the rest of his family, who struggled on a daily basis to make ends meet. But soon, it wasn't enough.

And when he was in his later years of adolescence, the stock market crashed.

Like the quarter of the population, Daniel Doubletree lost his job in the oilfields. Delphine had to take a job working in an orphanage, changing the family dynamic. Unable to afford to go to college, and certain that business school would only take him closer to the breadlines, Sam was easily swayed by the army recruiter who had set up a small office next to the general store he took a job in.

The army promised a different kind of status that mere money couldn't provide. . .(and some of that, too, of course!); travel, foreign shores, excitement, oh, and that whole "war hero" business. Samuel enlisted within one week, when he was eighteen, and was sent to training for the reserve in Florida. His family had no qualms towards Sam enlisting into the military - in fact, his mother thought it might be good for the boy, to realize there was more than just this drivel about "social status" and "the comforts of economic success" that he had droned on and on about for so long. Little did she know that was what he was sort of setting out for.

And little did Sam know that total war was brewing overseas.

That ambitious drive within him set him up for success, and soon enough he was rising through the ranks. Samuel was a private first class in no time, excelling in the war games, all to the point of rising up to the NCOs, and thus impressing his superiors, - who believed he'd fare well in the Army Air Force.

Now, the Army Air Force was always seen as the stepchild of the Army, a rather new offshoot - but Sam liked the idea just fine. Flying aces were always admired, he'd heard stories and seen movies and loved the idea of being in the air force, and entered immediately. It was clear he was to be a successful bombardier, and was appointed as Captain, admired for his leadership and work ethic, and command over those below him.

Of course, he wouldn't have been made a Captain if it weren't for the need of officers to replace those lost in Guam that were to have been sent to Chipping-Ongar to take over the ranks. It was a challenge to complete officers training in a brand new airbase, with a new squadron, but the higher-ups believed that Doubletree knew his stuff, had a keen eye and the wits to exceed in combat flight, and he had proven to be one of the best bombardiers in the squadron.

He has yet to prove himself at Chipping-Ongar.

Bombs Away!

Briefing - Captain Samuel Doubletree