Tran Nim

**Captain Tran Nim** was a South Vietnamese Army officer who served during the Vietnam War. He was stationed at Camp 2-9er Savoy as the co-commander with United States Army Captain Coleman and later Captain MacDaniel.

## History

Tran Nim held the rank of Captain (O-3) in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces (ARVN Special Forces). Described in the movie trailer as *"the hater"*, Capt. Nim indeed had a personal vendetta against the Viet Cong. He led an expedition that was ordered on a 11-day patrol. During the day before their return to camp, Capt. Nim had reported his patrol unit was attacked by Viet Cong guerillas, resulting in three wounded soldiers in Nim's patrol. When Nim and his patrol returned, it was during a torrential downpour on a rainy morning. Capt. Nim reported to Capt. Coleman about the mission and the casualties. They soon met with Captain MacDaniel and Col. Mike Kirby in the camp dispensary. There, he was formally introduced to the Colonel. He also expressed his hatred of the Viet Cong as he declared he would first "kill all the stinking Cong, then go home." He disclosed the fact his home was in Hanoi, the occupied capital of Vietnam. Captain Coleman, after Nim was dismissed by Kirby, disclosed the observation that Nim kept track of every Viet Cong he killed in combat. According to Coleman, Capt. Nim had personally killed a total of 52, promising to double the number by the following year if all the ally soldiers stayed out of his line of fire.

## Action

Capt. Nim remained in camp as part of its commanding body with Capt. MacDaniel after the death of Coleman during a nighttime mortar hit on the camp's team house. Nim was also instrumental in the informing of how the enemy operated in the area, telling Col. Kirby that the VC routinely harassed the camp with mortar fire every other night. Nim also explained to George Beckworth some of the regular military procedures were carried out. Nim also presided in a prisoner interrogation when Sgt. Muldoon discovered a VC spy disguised as a camp soldier, pacing off target distances for VC mortars. Beckworth witnessed the brutality of Nim committed upon the prisoner (off-screen). Nim was later seen angrily walking away from the site clutching his beret in a furious manner.

Nim also joined the Colonel in a mission to escort villagers seeking the Green Berets' protection. Capt. Nim related the story from the villagers telling how the V.C. came in the night, seeking to take away the young men for recruits. He also cited that V.C. killed the chief and destroyed the village a warning to any who resisted.

Nim was later seen in camp with Capt. MacDaniel receiving the report from a returning patrol led by Sgt. Petersen. Petersen informed the captains that the Viet Cong were preparing for a full assault on the camp. According to Petersen the enemy was 15 clicks away from the camp. Captain Nim estimated the camp had plenty of time to prepare for the coming battle. He relayed orders to MacDaniel to restrict camp operations to only 4 clicks. MacDaniel suggested they contact the C-Team to check on the weather so they may know if they could count on air support or not. Nim agreed to this and they returned to the operations center in camp.

As night fell, Capt. Nim stood in the watch tower with a night vision pair of binoculars to watch the enemy movement. When MacDaniel joined him, they confirmed the enemy positions, seeing a diversion being plotted on their southern front. Capt. MacDaniel ordered a reinforcing of the northern wall defenses.

Just before the battle broke out, Nim suggested to alert the camp's mortar crews to prepare for counter measures. As the battle broke out, Nim and MacDaniel observed the camp's mortar hits, confirming their hits on the enemy.

Over the course of the battle, the camp's defenses were failing, even with the help of a brief air strike. By dawn, the camp was nearly overrun. During the waning moments of the battle, Capt. Nim used hidden explosives to destroy a traitorous gun tower that had turned its .50 caliber machine gun on an unsuspecting Sgt. Provo and two Montagnard soldiers. Shortly after, the watch tower was shot down, causing Col. Kirby, Capt. MacDaniel and Nim to fall to the ground. Nim was left behind as Col. Kirby and MacDaniel were too distracted giving fall back orders to nearby soldiers. Nim remained to try and dig out his detonators from under the tower rubble. He was killed by a nearby explosion.

After the camp was overrun by the VC, his body was stripped of his personal effects and uniform by the enemy. When Col. Kirby was leading the Mike Force and civilians out of the camp, he asked for the whereabouts of Capt. Nim. It was reported by Sgt. Parks that Capt. Nim had *"bought the farm, but he took a lot of 'em with him."*

Captain Nim was portrayed by Star Trek actor George Takaei.