I was thinking someone should write a scenario or something featuring Hells Angels on a seekret mission during the Vietnam War. I did some research on both topics and learned that there was a time when a lot of left leaning academics were projecting all kinds of romanticism onto bikers, and in response the head of the Hells Angels sent a letter to the president offering to send some Hells Angels for special training with the government so they could do secret missions in Vietnam.

It would hilarious and awesome to do a SR3 scenario complete with Rigger rules for Tarantino-esque Harleys with guns mounted on them and SR3 firearms combat.

"There's dinosaurs in Vietnam!"

~J

The first question you'd need to answer is, why are we using Hell's Angels instead of actual, you know, professionals like military Special Forces or CIA ops teams?

Because awesome. Duh. Pay attention!

The same reason you might play a shadowrunner instead of Army Special Forces in a SR game.

You're missing my point. Shadowrun has an explanation of why people like runners can exist in the setting. If you're going to write a game about Hell's Angels doing black ops in Vietnam, you have to explain why the U.S. government is sending private citizens instead of its own operatives.

As I explained, it has to do with a specific historical incident. Consider it a fun-oriented type of speculative historical fiction. What if the president had secretly responded to the letter from the head of the Hell's Angels?

Yes, I understand all that. You still have to come up with a reason why the President of the United States would think it a good idea to send Hell's Angels to Vietnam, when he already has organizations like SFOD-Delta, SEALs, Rangers, CIA operations teams, etc. at his disposal. What do bikers have to offer that none of these groups do?

The chance to get rid of some bikers?

Are you this fun at parties, too?

Well they were the security force at that concert where they beat up the hippies... maybe they are on Nixon's payroll

That's easy. Miniguns welded to the handlebars of Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Also, plausible deniability, the same excuse for why pink mohawk shadowrunners exist.

I look at it this way: the proposed scenario explores the consequences if a real-world historical branching point had gone the other way. In the real world, presidents don't just say, "Let's send the Hell's Angels to Vietnam for shits and giggles." You can, of course, handwave this, but then it's not speculative historical fiction anymore. It's just a bunch of guys saying, "Woo, bikers in Nam!" That's great if that's your goal; I'm just saying that if (as Wounded Ronin implied) your goal is to maintain some level of historical realism, there are certain questions that absolutely have to be answered, and one of them is WHY we're sending Hell's Angels instead of real soldiers.

Presidents have personally presided over all kinds of stupid stuff in the Vietnam War, though. This includes LBJ micro managing bombing missions in Laos and JFK flipping out and air riffing over the M16. I don't even think it's all that discordant to add one more questionable decision to that list.

Don't overthink it, man:

You'd also have to come up with a reason why the President of the United States would think it a good idea to participate in a coverup of politically-motivated burglary, or to maintain recordings of conversations relating to said coverup.

~J

That one's easy. Nixon, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, was, in fact, a crook. What Wounded Ronin is talking about is just batshit insane.

Although I have to wonder, if the Hell's Angels were so gung-ho to go fight in Vietnam, why didn't they just join the Army?

I'd imagine that's because in the army, they frown on you fighting as the Hell's Angels.

~J

This.

Is sending the Hell's Angels to, say, carry out a set of illegal orders incomprehensible bad judgement compared to, say, starting a draft in order to avoid mobilizing the reserves?

Probably the haircuts

Anyone who has played Jagged Alliance 2 knows it's the leather jackets.