What we know about Snake Eyes...

[minstrelboy]

I'm currently working on write-ups for the OG13 detailing their military training and experience up to selection for Special Counter-Terrorist Group DELTA (Code Name: G.I. Joe). The information I've been using is primarily taken from the characters' original file cards and stories from the Marvel ARAH comic series and trying to bolster them with real-life military terminology and historically accurate data. Now, I'm sure what I have so far is riddled with inaccuracies, and in instances where there is conflicting information I've used my own personal choices to implement small changes in the characters' backgrounds.

Snake Eyes is definitely proving the hardest so far (Scarlett isn't too far behind him), especially since a lot of his information is classified top secret. I did find these interesting articles detailing what his name and birthplace probably could be:

• View topic - Snake Eyes' real name: a new theory (http://www.joereloaded.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=7010)

• View topic - What do we know about Snake-Eyes? (http://www.joereloaded.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6676&hilit=snake+eyes+name)

But reading the entry on Wikipedia about Snake Eyes, it states "he has undergone Drill Sergeant training, and is a former U.S. Army Special Forces Delta operator." I'm not the most conversant G.I. Joe scholar, but I don't ever recall seeing this information before, unless it is from another source outside of Hama's Marvel/DD/IDW continuity.

It seems that Snake Eyes enlisted and almost went directly to Vietnam out of Basic and AIT. At some point after his (at least two) tours Southeast Asia he returns home to the tragedy of his family dying in a car accident. But when does he actually get out of the Army? Did he ever reenlist? I'm assuming he did for at least 2 more years to get some of the additional training his original file card states before he is discharged and joins the Arashikage clan.

Any thoughts, evidence, ideas? Discuss.

[nerdsgetchicks]

Wikipedia should not be taken as set in stone. I honestly go by the Snake Eyes Declassified series for my info.

[lowlight27]

His Proposed Unclassified Name according to Larry Hama was Bob Light.

[minstrelboy]

Wikipedia should not be taken as set in stone. I honestly go by the Snake Eyes Declassified series for my info.

I'm not. I was just wondering if anyone knew where the person that posted that information there might have come up with it. If there's no truth to it, then someone needs to edit it and post the facts to prevent any further confusion on such a mysterious character.

His Proposed Unclassified Name according to Larry Hama was Bob Light.

Interesting. You wouldn't happen to have a reference to this, would you?

[lowlight27]

It's from an old thread I started. I'll try to find it. It was a n interview with Hama.

[capamerica3232]

For some reason I thought I read some where that his real name was brian something or other.

[speedlgt]

we know hes cool with duke taking his girl! lol
he was all I am gonna kill storm shadow while duke and red go make out and kill zartan

[blackhawk squad]

i believe his real true name is turd furgeson.......

[Viperscout 7]

I think in the early run of ARAH it is stated that snake-Eyes got injured on his third tour issue 26 or so. Stalker states that he did 2 tours with Tommy and SE and he was considered the newbie.
I don't think he was a Drill Sergeant but it does state he is a Hand to hand combat instructor

[Viperscout 7]

his real name is Joe Kickass

[angelofdeath69]

Robert Light, hmmm that's an interesting name. i never understood the need to be his name classified, other than to add the mistery of his persona. Still he's a cool killing machine, his relationship with Scarlett is what makes him human.

[redx24]

snake eyes love to cross dress we all seen that episode

[fireflyguy]

Wikipedia should not be taken as set in stone. I honestly go by the Snake Eyes Declassified series for my info.

Yeah, I thought that was a pretty good series.

[CrimsonGuard101]

Hes an ultimate arishikage ninja, he has a speech impediment/never talks, he loves Scarlett but can never have her...and he has a pet wolf...that about sums it up

[OreoBuilder]

His Proposed Unclassified Name according to Larry Hama was Bob Light.

I think Bob Light is the name of the real life soldier that Snake Eyes is based off of. He was a soldier in Larry Hama's unit in Vietnam.

OB

[Troynos]

Wikipedia should not be taken as set in stone. I honestly go by the Snake Eyes Declassified series for my info.

I wouldn't use that.

SE Declassified is HORRIBLE.

[Troynos]

I think Bob Light is the name of the real life soldier that Snake Eyes is based off of. He was a soldier in Larry Hama's unit in Vietnam.

OB

^ True.

[minstrelboy]

Well what about the Arashikage training? I mean, how long would it take to master the art(s) of ninjitsu? He had less than a decade to accomplish this. He did two (or three, depending on how you interpret the facts) tours in Vietnam, presumably from '67-'69. Even if he enlisted an additional 2 years after serving the first 4 (to account for all of the military training he's supposed to have received), then he would only have roughly 7 years to train in Japan after military discharge and tooling around with Cobra Commander, because by late 1980 the Joe team was already being assembled.

Like I said, I'm just trying to find out what his training was as it fits in with Hama's development of the character.

[Sithcobra]

hmmmm

[UMAN]

I think Bob Light is the name of the real life soldier that Snake Eyes is based off of. He was a soldier in Larry Hama's unit in Vietnam.

OB

This is true.

If fandom were to adopt this as Snake Eyes' name, I'm sure it would become canon eventually.

[CobraCommandr]

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His name is Ray Park. :)

[dorian247]

I personally like the Snake-Eyes real name being Lawerence Beach theory.

[lowlight27]

The Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994 - Mark Bellomo - Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=8WIQXYILD2kC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=larry+hama+based+Snake+Eyes+off+of+Bob+Light&source=bl&ots=34wm79P060&sig=JKmSNnTvsdVX0SgwhmOxjlx9TRo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YE7rT7rhIoW69QTHk_H0BQ&ved=0CFMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false)

[lowlight27]

This is where Larry mentioned Bob Light

[Jmacq1]

Well, he presumably had infantry training and LRRP Training in Vietnam. He's free-fall and HALO parachute qualified (which by default means he's "regular" airborne qualified). His time in the LRRPs could easily account for his Jungle and Mountaineering qualifications (and it's entirely likely he was a graduate of and recipient of the "Recondo" tab...whereas as a squad leader Stalker would have attended the full Ranger school).

I don't know that he'd need this extra two years of training folks are talking about, though it does seem that he was certainly discharged and then rejoined the Army after his tenure with the Arashikage.

What's interesting is that he's also skilled in Underwater Demolitions according to his first filecard. To my knowledge, the only course that does that training in the US is the Basic Underwater Demolitions School (BUDS) which is better known as the initial training for Navy SEALS (though I'm murky on the timeline for the SEALs and their schools in the Vietnam era).

So it's possible that Snake-Eyes is actually qualified as a Navy SEAL, though it's possible he attended the course but technically did not "graduate" from it...instead learning the skills without gaining the full SEAL qualification. We saw in the Scarlett: Declassified one-shot that Scarlett was basically "crammed" through all sorts of training prior to joining the Joe team. It's possible that Snake-Eyes was put through a similar process in-between being recruited by Hawk and Stalker and the first gathering of the O13 (which could account for his Underwater Demolitions Training, and probably included "refreshers" on his older skillsets (possibly Ranger school, the various parachute training courses, etc...).

I find an amusing scenario springs to mind where they've had Snake-Eyes finish all his "refresher" training in record time so Hawk/General Flagg basically says, "Ehn, Send him to BUDS. Why the hell not?"

Incidentally, timeline-wise I'd say he could have spent as long as 8 years with the Arashikage, but 7 seems more likely. I figure one year back from Vietnam where he was living in depression and (by the Declassified series) playing vigilante with Cobra Commander, 7 years with the Arashikage, then returning to the US in 78, building his Cabin, and living in semi-retirement for a year or two before Stalker finds him in 1980 for the Joe team.

[jogunwarrior]

I figure one year back from Vietnam where he was living in depression and (by the Declassified series) playing vigilante with Cobra Commander

Wait...whua...I know I missed reading that series, but I evidently missed quite a bit!

[minstrelboy]

So to be Ranger during the Vietnam conflict, one did not have to attend Ranger School?

[haradrel]

So to be Ranger during the Vietnam conflict, one did not have to attend Ranger School?


"Beginning in February 1969, all LRRPs were folded into the newly-formed 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne), (later in 1984 becoming the 75th Ranger Regiment (United States)), bringing back operational Ranger units for the first time since the Korean War. The Army had disbanded Ranger units after Korea, but kept Ranger school, on the theory that spreading Ranger School graduates throughout the Army would improve overall performance."

[lardman]

I wouldn't use that.

SE Declassified is HORRIBLE.

Agreed.

We saw in the Scarlett: Declassified one-shot that Scarlett was basically "crammed" through all sorts of training prior to joining the Joe team. It's possible that Snake-Eyes was put through a similar process in-between being recruited by Hawk and Stalker and the first gathering of the O13 (which could account for his Underwater Demolitions Training, and probably included "refreshers" on his older skillsets (possibly Ranger school, the various parachute training courses, etc...).

This is my interpretation of the skills he has according to his filecard, and which he wouldn't have learned for and during his time in Vietnam.

There's almost certainly a full analysis of his timeline, training, etc., in the filecard thread, but who knows quite what page to look at.....? (wiki anyone? ;))

[CVdelgado]

Snake Eyes once made Bolo and Chuck Norris wet their pants at the same time...

[Hellion42]

Snake Eyes once made Bolo and Chuck Norris wet their pants at the same time...

So THAT'S where Atlantis went... http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/hellion42/smilies/schin.gif

[minstrelboy]

"Beginning in February 1969, all LRRPs were folded into the newly-formed 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne), (later in 1984 becoming the 75th Ranger Regiment (United States)), bringing back operational Ranger units for the first time since the Korean War. The Army had disbanded Ranger units after Korea, but kept Ranger school, on the theory that spreading Ranger School graduates throughout the Army would improve overall performance."

I've read some of the history on LRRPs, but it was never clear on what official training these guys had before being sent out into the jungle for weeks at a time. I remember watching the tv show Tour Of Duty, and in the third season they were reassigned to MACV/SOG. I guess my main question is could they wear the Ranger tab on their uniforms? Were they officially Ranger qualified on paper?

[Artifex]

Quick Google search:

* SE Bob Light --https://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=snake+eyes+bob+light&oq=snake+eyes+bob+light&gs_l=hp.3...14132.17118.0.17249.20.19.0.1.1.1.251. 3815.0j4j14.18.0...0.0.nvZ9Y0MmdjY&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=d7a50cc02f3c90da&biw=1152&bih=745

* SE real person? -- http://forums.yojoe.com/toys-1982-1998/61634-snake-eyes-based-real-person.html

* Interview -- Yo Joe! Sit-Rep (http://www.yojoe.com/reviews/interviews/hama.shtml)

* Check the trivia here -- http://gijoe.wikia.com/wiki/Snake-Eyes_(RAH)

[minstrelboy]

Well, he presumably had infantry training and LRRP Training in Vietnam. He's free-fall and HALO parachute qualified (which by default means he's "regular" airborne qualified). His time in the LRRPs could easily account for his Jungle and Mountaineering qualifications (and it's entirely likely he was a graduate of and recipient of the "Recondo" tab...whereas as a squad leader Stalker would have attended the full Ranger school).

I don't know that he'd need this extra two years of training folks are talking about, though it does seem that he was certainly discharged and then rejoined the Army after his tenure with the Arashikage.

What's interesting is that he's also skilled in Underwater Demolitions according to his first filecard. To my knowledge, the only course that does that training in the US is the Basic Underwater Demolitions School (BUDS) which is better known as the initial training for Navy SEALS (though I'm murky on the timeline for the SEALs and their schools in the Vietnam era).

So it's possible that Snake-Eyes is actually qualified as a Navy SEAL, though it's possible he attended the course but technically did not "graduate" from it...instead learning the skills without gaining the full SEAL qualification. We saw in the Scarlett: Declassified one-shot that Scarlett was basically "crammed" through all sorts of training prior to joining the Joe team. It's possible that Snake-Eyes was put through a similar process in-between being recruited by Hawk and Stalker and the first gathering of the O13 (which could account for his Underwater Demolitions Training, and probably included "refreshers" on his older skillsets (possibly Ranger school, the various parachute training courses, etc...).

I find an amusing scenario springs to mind where they've had Snake-Eyes finish all his "refresher" training in record time so Hawk/General Flagg basically says, "Ehn, Send him to BUDS. Why the hell not?"

Incidentally, timeline-wise I'd say he could have spent as long as 8 years with the Arashikage, but 7 seems more likely. I figure one year back from Vietnam where he was living in depression and (by the Declassified series) playing vigilante with Cobra Commander, 7 years with the Arashikage, then returning to the US in 78, building his Cabin, and living in semi-retirement for a year or two before Stalker finds him in 1980 for the Joe team.

There is a post Special Forces Q Course that you can take for Combat Diving, which I imagine covers underwater demolitions.

[Jmacq1]

There is a post Special Forces Q Course that you can take for Combat Diving, which I imagine covers underwater demolitions.

I'm not sure, but it's possible.

As for the Recondo/Ranger/LRRP training and qualifications, my understanding is this:

The LRRP Teams were founded, then after the fact they realized they probably needed some special training, and since they couldn't get all of the LRRP folks through Ranger school, they tried to send all the "squad leaders" to Ranger school (hence, Stalker being a full Ranger).

After that, they had these squad leaders and few other instructors put together a two-week "condensed" course teaching some of the Ranger techniques to LRRP members. This was the now-famous "Recondo school" and eventually they started issuing "Recondo" tabs. As noted above, the LRRPs were folded into the 75th Ranger Regiment later on, but that would not necessarily have automatically made all their members into qualified Rangers (Not all the soldiers in Ranger units are Ranger qualified)/able to wear the Ranger tab.

After Vietnam, many of the units in the Army started their own independent "Recondo" schools, some of which lasted all the way up until the very late 80's/early 90's. Right about the same time they disappeared, the Army did big "cleanup" of their uniforms and drastically limited the numbers of tabs and badges that were authorized for wear with the uniforms.

There's some question as to whether the Recondo tab was ever authorized by Department of the Army, but it was at least tolerated until 1989/1990 or so.

[Lifeline 71]

Part of the "problem" in establishing a timeline for SE is LH. Don't get me wrong, I love his work, but he had a tendency to retcon things when he wanted to. In issue 10, we see what Dr. Venom states is "The last helicopter out of Saigon..." In 43, Wade Collins says he was a POW for 2 years. And the Vietnam flashbacks in the "Snake Eyes Trilogy" are set in Jan./Feb. 1968, just after the Tet Offensive. A bit of inconsistency there.

[Un_Chakal]

I personally like the Snake-Eyes real name being Lawerence Beach theory.

Whats this theory from?