Subject: Re: Sgt Hulka Weapon System article
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Alvis P." <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:08:45 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
ARC Air - Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.arcair.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alvis P. 
  To: ARC ARC 
  Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 2:01 AM
  Subject: Sgt Hulka Weapon System article

  "1/35 Sgt. Hulka Defence System from "Stripes Two: That's the Facts Jack! " 

  by "Alvis 3.1"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo TOE1.jpg here  

  Sergeant Hulka. We all remember Warren Oates and his great role in the first "Stripes" movie, and Bill Murray was so impressed with his role in making movie history, he had Harold Ramis write him into the sequel, even though Mister Oates had been deceased for many years. Fortunately, they refrained from doing a horrible CGI effect or recasting the character, and memorialised him in the best way possible: A brand new Army weapon system named after that heroic character, Sergeant First Class Hulka.

  SFC Hulka had retired at the end of the first stripes movie, to run a chain of burger joints knowns as "Hulka Burger", and when the sequel picks up, we find that the chain had failed in the late 90s. Meanwhile, our protagonists, John Winger (Murray) and Russell Ziskey (Ramis) have remained in the Army, and have made it up into the higher levels of the Pentagon. Now both Lt Colonels, they have been developing a new electronic battlefield weapon system, the Tube-launched, Optically-guided Electronic-jammer, or TOE-Jammer, and have been selected to give the first in field tests. Having named the system the "Sergeant Hulka" after their "Big Toe" from basic training (in a truly emotional speech Winger gives before Congress he tells them how SFC Hulka made them what they are today) Winger and Ziskey are challenged by various incompetent politicians and officers who wish to see their system fail miserably. They are sent to South Korea for the test, not knowing that they have been set up to "accidentally" invade North Korea, setting off a massive diplomatic incident and ruining their careers.

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE2.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE2.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE3.jpghere.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE3.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE4.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE4.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE5.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE5.jpg

  Various escapades and hijinks ensue, and we get to meet a couple of their old compatriots along the way. Stillman (John Larroquette) is now a military contractor lobbyist, "Psycho" Soyer has become an even more deranged survivalist, Elmo Blum is a state governor, and Louise Cooper even appears as shipping company CEO who helps the boys out of a couple tough spots. A nice touch was having Joe Flaherty appear as the Russian ambassador.

          
        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo TOE6.jpg here  

  The movie really kicks in with a huge military exercise in South Korea, with the Sgt Hulkas wandering into North Korea, where they wreack havoc and wind up driving through Beijing in the films' climactic moments. In all, a good, fun film and some really great footage of military vehicles in action. It's hard to believe that the US Army and the USMC were able to be persuaded to allow such access to their facilities for this film, but it makes it all the more realistic, if that can be said for a Ramis comedy...Although it was never explained why a USMC vehicle was being used by the Army.

       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE7.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE7.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE8.jpghere.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE8.jpg  

                                                                               The kit:

  I used the ESCI 1/35 LAV TUA for this model, and built it basically stright out of the box, except for the TOE launcher, which was scratchbuilt using sheet styrene, and the TOE missile, which is a FIMO clay sclupt. Imagine my daughter's dissapointment when she thought I was making frnechfries, and opened the oven door to find a toe baking there.  Painting and weathering was basically green and a dirt colour, airbrushed on as required. 

              

               

               

               

               

               

              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo TOE9.jpghere.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo TOE9.jpg 

                                                                     And yes, I made ALL this up!

                                       "Alvis 3.1"

  Photos and text © by "Alvis 3.1"