The Fighting 1:18th! The best Military 1:18 scale site on the net!
Duke has had 47 prior incarnations, starting in 1983 as a mail-in exclusive. He was sold as both Duke and Conrad “Duke” Hauser and has been available singly, two-pack, 3-pack, box sets, etc.
From his classic filecard:
File Name: Hauser, Conrad S.
SN: RA213757793
Grade: E-8 (Master Sergeant)
Birthplace: St. Louis, MO
Primary Specialty: Airborne Infantryman
Secondary Specialty: Artillery, Small-arms armorer
Duke was fluent in French, German, and English when he enlisted in 1967. Graduated top of his class at airborne school, Fort Benning. Opted for U.S. Army Special Language School. Specialized in Han Chinese and South East Asian dialects. Went Special Forces in 1969. Worked with tribesman in the boonies of South Vietnam. Ran four different Special Forces schools. Turned down a commission in 1971. Commands by winning respect. Current assignment: Acting First Sergeant, G.I. Joe team.
Statement after declining commission: “They tell me that an officer’s job is to impel others to take the risks–so that the officer survives to take the blame in the event of total catastrophe. With all due respect, sir…if that’s what an officer does, I don’t want any part of it.”
From the Retaliation “filecard”:
First Lieutenant CONRAD “DUKE” HAUSER is an elite special ops commando on the G.I. JOE team. He has fought COBRA before and is always ready to continue the battle. Armed with a powerful QUADBLASTER, he faces any challenge that COBRA throws at him.
Please just shoot me now. These get worse and worse.
