Post by Heiko Alkema on Jan 13, 2009 3:44:22 GMT
I like. Good job on the application, t'is accepted..
~Dan
Account E-Mail: [edited out]
Name: Heiko Alkema
Nationality: Frisian
What Army will Your Character Serve Beneath? Wehrmacht
Character History:
Heiko Alkema was born on the 1st of December 1914 to Siemen
and Nine Alkema, an old Frisian family in Bremen. Siemen, a captain in
the Reichsheer, was shipped off to the western front before Heiko was
born. During the war he was raised by his mother, aunt, and
grandmother, and Heiko rarely met any close male relatives as most of
them had devoted themselves to service.
Heiko would never have a chance to grow close to his father. On
November 11, 1918, 20 minutes before the armistice went into effect, a
zealous French artilleryman and his fellow gun crews opened fire on
Siemen Alkema's position. A scrap of shrapnel caught Siemen in the
throat as he was inspecting the war-weary troops under his command. He
bled out in seconds. When Heiko was old enough to understand, this
event seeded a deep hatred for the French and anyone who supported
them. Heiko's mother never remarried and he remained an only child.
Early in his childhood Heiko became almost fanatical in his
determination to join the army and avenge his father's needless death.
Two people shaped Heiko's path and mind, both military men. The first
and most important influence was Heiko's grandfather Uwe had been a
sergeant in the Franco-Prussian war and rose to Colonel afterwards into
the Great War. Uwe managed to snag a station in the Reichswehr after
the the Reichsheer was disbanded. The second influence, Heiko's uncle
Izo, hadn't preformed as well as his brother Siemen in the Great War
and was a slowly rising sergeant during the war and was discharged with
the dissolution of the Reichsheer afterwards.
Both loved their country dearly, the difference was in what to
do next. Uwe believed that preservation of the German state was
paramount, enough German blood had been spilt trying to establish an
empire. Izo, however, felt the disgrace dumped upon Germany must be
avenged, that any enemies of the Fatherland must be destroyed without
mercy. Uwe and Izo clashed over these issues whenever they were in the
same room as one another. Heiko listened intently to each and every
debate, carefully studying the merits of both sides.
Izo fanatism and fanaticism led him to join the SA in 1927 much
to annoyance of the rest of the Alkema family. Uwe publicly humiliated
Izo on several occasions for this. After Hitler came to power in 1933
Uwe was killed when his criticisms were heard in the wrong circles. Izo
was overjoyed. Ironically Izo met his own fate a year later when Hitler
and the SS turned on the SA. The deaths of Heiko's childhood heroes at
the hands of this new regime brought the threat of Hitler and his
supporters into sharp clarity for Heiko. Heiko now accepted Uwe's views
as absolute, only now the German nation needed to be protected from
forces within in addition to those without.
In 1935 Heiko joined the Wehrmacht to save his beloved country
from the malevolent forces of France, Britain, and the Soviets and the
internal beast that was the National Socialists. Quickly aligning
himself with the more moderate leadership in the Wehrmacht, Heiko
managed to achieve the rank of sergeant by the time Paris fell in 1940.
Military Rank: Unteroffizier
Writing Sample:
Scenario: You’re alone behind enemy lines and you get the eerie feeling someone’s watching you. You’re trying to remain quiet, stay low, work your way back to the front lines - but you can’t help but feel you’re being followed… (How does your character React? What’s running through their mind?)
Heiko and Kasper were only two kilometres from the front. What stood between them and safety was one and a half kilometres of dense forest, 500 metres of open field, and the Soviet detachment that had cut them and the rest of their platoon off yesterday. It had been a slaughter.
The Russians may not have the formal training of the Germans, but their knowledge of their homeland more than made up for any disadvantage. Heiko had seen his arrogant Prussian lieutenant, Marcus Junker, get torn to pieces a DP light machine gun half way through a small clearing in the woods. Only a few hours before, Junker had been preaching about how the Russians were no smarter than rats and any other vermin. Those "stupid rats" had been stalking them since they had entered the forest and they had superb aim as Junker and most of the platoon learned all too quickly.
Now it was just Heiko and Kasper slowly, carefully, and quietly retracing their steps back to safety. Every twig that cracked under their feet could mean instant death in these woods. Ever since they'd crawled from the clearing Heiko had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had only had this feeling twice before, and he had two scars to mark the occasions.
Heiko carefully unslung his rifle and silently checked to see if it was loaded, he knew the answer but the comfort of knowing for a fact that he had could get at least one shot off made him feel better. He glanced back at Kasper who was following a few metres behind. He looked pale as a ghost, a new replacement, only three days out in front. Heiko couldn't help but pity him. Kasper met his eyes and attempted a smile."Armes schwein,", thought Heiko as he turned his attention back to the forest around him.
They were traveling down a small creek bed which ran roughly west to east, covered in fallen leaves the bed bent about ten metres ahead of them. A rather large pine had fallen across the creek a little beyond the bend to the south west daunting pines flanked them on both sides.
A crack broke through the morning air behind Heiko. His head shot back to Kasper who had stopped dead staring at Heiko and shook his head to indicate that it wasn't him. Heiko motioned for Kasper to keep going past him to the pine. Kasper nodded and darted past in an awkward crouched jog his rifle still slung over his shoulder.
Heiko raised his rifle to his shoulder and slowly back out out of the creek bed and behind a sturdy looking tree to the south, his rifle trained in the general direction of the snap. He waited, motionless for something, rustling of leaves, a brush against bark, another snapping twig, anything he could shoot at. He prayed for some sign of movement.
He waited for what seemed like an eternity. But his patience and prayers were rewarded, four metres to the left of where his was aiming his saw it. It was just a split second but it was enough. All he saw was a faint glint next to a tree to the northeast. A tiny ray of sunlight shinning through the trees bouncing off the cold steel of a rifle barrel. He brought the tree into his sights and waited again.
Heiko watched through his sights as phantom rifleman slowly peeked out from behind the trunk. "Tschuess," whispered Heiko as he gently pulled the trigger. The crack was deafening in the morning silence. Kasper must have seen the Russian too as second crack ripped through the air from behind the fallen pine tree.
----------
Translation:
- "Amres Schwein,"
- Literal: Poor swein
-- Colloquial: Poor bugger
- "Tschuess,"
- Informal: Goodbye
~Dan
Account E-Mail: [edited out]
Name: Heiko Alkema
Nationality: Frisian
What Army will Your Character Serve Beneath? Wehrmacht
Character History:
Heiko Alkema was born on the 1st of December 1914 to Siemen
and Nine Alkema, an old Frisian family in Bremen. Siemen, a captain in
the Reichsheer, was shipped off to the western front before Heiko was
born. During the war he was raised by his mother, aunt, and
grandmother, and Heiko rarely met any close male relatives as most of
them had devoted themselves to service.
Heiko would never have a chance to grow close to his father. On
November 11, 1918, 20 minutes before the armistice went into effect, a
zealous French artilleryman and his fellow gun crews opened fire on
Siemen Alkema's position. A scrap of shrapnel caught Siemen in the
throat as he was inspecting the war-weary troops under his command. He
bled out in seconds. When Heiko was old enough to understand, this
event seeded a deep hatred for the French and anyone who supported
them. Heiko's mother never remarried and he remained an only child.
Early in his childhood Heiko became almost fanatical in his
determination to join the army and avenge his father's needless death.
Two people shaped Heiko's path and mind, both military men. The first
and most important influence was Heiko's grandfather Uwe had been a
sergeant in the Franco-Prussian war and rose to Colonel afterwards into
the Great War. Uwe managed to snag a station in the Reichswehr after
the the Reichsheer was disbanded. The second influence, Heiko's uncle
Izo, hadn't preformed as well as his brother Siemen in the Great War
and was a slowly rising sergeant during the war and was discharged with
the dissolution of the Reichsheer afterwards.
Both loved their country dearly, the difference was in what to
do next. Uwe believed that preservation of the German state was
paramount, enough German blood had been spilt trying to establish an
empire. Izo, however, felt the disgrace dumped upon Germany must be
avenged, that any enemies of the Fatherland must be destroyed without
mercy. Uwe and Izo clashed over these issues whenever they were in the
same room as one another. Heiko listened intently to each and every
debate, carefully studying the merits of both sides.
Izo fanatism and fanaticism led him to join the SA in 1927 much
to annoyance of the rest of the Alkema family. Uwe publicly humiliated
Izo on several occasions for this. After Hitler came to power in 1933
Uwe was killed when his criticisms were heard in the wrong circles. Izo
was overjoyed. Ironically Izo met his own fate a year later when Hitler
and the SS turned on the SA. The deaths of Heiko's childhood heroes at
the hands of this new regime brought the threat of Hitler and his
supporters into sharp clarity for Heiko. Heiko now accepted Uwe's views
as absolute, only now the German nation needed to be protected from
forces within in addition to those without.
In 1935 Heiko joined the Wehrmacht to save his beloved country
from the malevolent forces of France, Britain, and the Soviets and the
internal beast that was the National Socialists. Quickly aligning
himself with the more moderate leadership in the Wehrmacht, Heiko
managed to achieve the rank of sergeant by the time Paris fell in 1940.
Military Rank: Unteroffizier
Writing Sample:
Scenario: You’re alone behind enemy lines and you get the eerie feeling someone’s watching you. You’re trying to remain quiet, stay low, work your way back to the front lines - but you can’t help but feel you’re being followed… (How does your character React? What’s running through their mind?)
Heiko and Kasper were only two kilometres from the front. What stood between them and safety was one and a half kilometres of dense forest, 500 metres of open field, and the Soviet detachment that had cut them and the rest of their platoon off yesterday. It had been a slaughter.
The Russians may not have the formal training of the Germans, but their knowledge of their homeland more than made up for any disadvantage. Heiko had seen his arrogant Prussian lieutenant, Marcus Junker, get torn to pieces a DP light machine gun half way through a small clearing in the woods. Only a few hours before, Junker had been preaching about how the Russians were no smarter than rats and any other vermin. Those "stupid rats" had been stalking them since they had entered the forest and they had superb aim as Junker and most of the platoon learned all too quickly.
Now it was just Heiko and Kasper slowly, carefully, and quietly retracing their steps back to safety. Every twig that cracked under their feet could mean instant death in these woods. Ever since they'd crawled from the clearing Heiko had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had only had this feeling twice before, and he had two scars to mark the occasions.
Heiko carefully unslung his rifle and silently checked to see if it was loaded, he knew the answer but the comfort of knowing for a fact that he had could get at least one shot off made him feel better. He glanced back at Kasper who was following a few metres behind. He looked pale as a ghost, a new replacement, only three days out in front. Heiko couldn't help but pity him. Kasper met his eyes and attempted a smile."Armes schwein,", thought Heiko as he turned his attention back to the forest around him.
They were traveling down a small creek bed which ran roughly west to east, covered in fallen leaves the bed bent about ten metres ahead of them. A rather large pine had fallen across the creek a little beyond the bend to the south west daunting pines flanked them on both sides.
A crack broke through the morning air behind Heiko. His head shot back to Kasper who had stopped dead staring at Heiko and shook his head to indicate that it wasn't him. Heiko motioned for Kasper to keep going past him to the pine. Kasper nodded and darted past in an awkward crouched jog his rifle still slung over his shoulder.
Heiko raised his rifle to his shoulder and slowly back out out of the creek bed and behind a sturdy looking tree to the south, his rifle trained in the general direction of the snap. He waited, motionless for something, rustling of leaves, a brush against bark, another snapping twig, anything he could shoot at. He prayed for some sign of movement.
He waited for what seemed like an eternity. But his patience and prayers were rewarded, four metres to the left of where his was aiming his saw it. It was just a split second but it was enough. All he saw was a faint glint next to a tree to the northeast. A tiny ray of sunlight shinning through the trees bouncing off the cold steel of a rifle barrel. He brought the tree into his sights and waited again.
Heiko watched through his sights as phantom rifleman slowly peeked out from behind the trunk. "Tschuess," whispered Heiko as he gently pulled the trigger. The crack was deafening in the morning silence. Kasper must have seen the Russian too as second crack ripped through the air from behind the fallen pine tree.
----------
Translation:
- "Amres Schwein,"
- Literal: Poor swein
-- Colloquial: Poor bugger
- "Tschuess,"
- Informal: Goodbye