The 433rd Basterds
Not pictured: Aldo Armistad, Hugo Lethe
History: Aldo belongs to a proud family of Side 3 citizens. Originally hailing from the mountains of eastern Kentucky (with a lineage that can be traced farther back, to Acadian fur trappers in 17th century Canada), the Armistads were amongst the first people forced to immigrate into space. Since then, they’ve held a mighty grudge against the Earth Federation – one that led them to move to Side 3 following the Deikunist purge in 0069.
Six years later, after a worthy career in teaching high school history (during which he led the Bunch 17 “Fightin’ Spacevipers” to three consecutive all cluster championships) Aldo enrolled in the Zeon Force Academy. His gung ho attitude and penchant for righteous cruelty – more so than his average skills as an MS pilot, compared to the exemplary class with which he graduated – brought him into the purview of Kycilia Zabi. She offered the loyal Zabiist his own unit in the Mobile Assault Force. It was to operate out of the Zanzibar class warship,
Anna Sergeevna. Aldo happily accepted the assignment, dubbing his new group the “433rd Basterds”.
Currently, Aldo and his two most trusted seconds have deployed ahead of the 433rd as a response to recent Zeon losses on Earth. The rest of the Basterds remain at Granada, overseeing final inspections of the
Anna Sergeevna.
Personality: 2nd Lieutenant Aldo P. Armistad is a force of “good ol’ boy” charisma. His smile, his swagger, his very presence are the marionette work of a natural backwaters charm. His deep, grizzled voice retains the slang and colloquialisms of his Kentucky forbearers – and it often speaks through a large, cheap cigar. Keen, squinted eyes observe a battlefield and judge every parameter. They reflect a brain that is always working, always scheming, always searching for the best (and easiest) solution to his problems.
Though he considers himself a good man, and his cause to be correct, Aldo nonetheless takes to his work with a level of violence unusual even amongst the Zeon elite. He wants every man, woman and child associated with the Earth Federation to suffer tenfold for the indignities inflicted on the people of Side 3 over the years. Aldo possesses both the military skill and unwavering practicality required to meet this goal. He expects the same of his Basterds.
Sidearm: Knife
KIA: Following a successful operation to capture Southeast Asia HQ and neutralize the 08th MS Team and its ground-type Gundams, the 433rd Basterds and their SS counterparts were outflanked by the EFGF's 87th Brigade. Trapped and outgunned, the 433rd volunteered to stay behind and delay the advancing Federation while the remaining Zeon fled for North Africa. Aldo P. Armistad and Donny Gerard were killed in action.
Aldo P. Armistad was granted a posthumous promotion to the rank of Captain. As leader of the 433rd Basterds, his service notes and total commendations have been excluded from the Mobile Assault Force's official records. Kycilia Zabi is said to have laughed at news of his death.
History: An agricultural satellite worker and street tough before the war. Donny Gerard enlisted shortly before Operation British. He has served in two terrestrial combat operations prior to his current assignment as second in command of the Basterds. During cleanup of the first battle, he forcibly extracted three Federation pilots from their downed fighters and bludgeoned them to death with a baseball bat. He was chastised for failing to interrogate the prisoners before killing them. In the second battle, he didn’t make that mistake.
Sergeant Gerard married Elizabeth Goldman just before accepting his post in the 433rd. They are expecting a son (conceived before wedlock). Donny Jr. should be born around the time Donny Sr. makes landfall with Aldo and Hugo.
Personality: A boisterous personality to fit his exceptional build. The tall, heavily muscled Gerard enjoys both life and war. He is reliable and focused in his duties as second in command of the 433rd, but underneath he remains a cocky street kid from Mahal. In battle, he’s never short to flash a smile or fling an insult the enemy’s way.
Sidearm: Louisville Slugger
KIA: Following a successful operation to capture Southeast Asia HQ and neutralize the 08th MS Team and its ground-type Gundams, the 433rd Basterds and their SS counterparts were outflanked by the EFGF's 87th Brigade. Trapped and outgunned, the 433rd volunteered to stay behind and delay the advancing Federation while the remaining Zeon fled for North Africa. Aldo P. Armistad and Donny Gerard were killed in action.
Donny Gerard was granted the Zeon Force Medal for exceptional bravery leading to the survival of comrades, and received a posthumous promotion to the rank of Pilot Officer. Elizabeth Goldman Gerard accepted the honors on behalf of her husband. Donny Jr. was present for the ceremony.
History: Hugo Lethe is a legend amongst Zeon and Earth Federation soldiers alike. A resident of Side 5 who was drafted into the EFF, he served at Loum aboard a Magellan class battleship and witnessed the utter obliteration of his family and home. At his subsequent post, he preceded to murder – one by one – the base’s thirteen officers in their sleep.
After defecting to Zeon, he participated in the 5th Terrestrial Drop Operation. Lethe claimed several kills in the siege of Alexandria; his skill and story eventually caught the ear of Kycilia Zabi. She extracted Hugo from his unit, paraded him around Side 3 for an extended period of time, and then assigned him to Aldo P. Armistad’s 433rd Basterds. He is the squad’s most seasoned member, and has accompanied Armistad and Gerard in their preliminary operations on Earth.
Personality: The most stoic, laconic member of the 433rd. Hugo’s stern gaze and perpetually calm demeanor lend him an air of intimidation that belies his relatively average build. While he can smile, and does possess a sense of humor that makes him fit in well with the remaining Basterds, in the thick of battle and in front of enemy soldiers, Hugo Lethe is a grim-faced golem.
Sidearm: Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
KIA: Sergeant Hugo Lethe was killed in action during combat operations in the East Asia theater. While assaulting the Federation's Southeast Asia HQ, Lethe engaged in a prolonged one-on-one duel with the 08th MS team's leader, Shiro Amada. Lethe successfully held his ground against the enemy ace's mass-production Gundam, freeing up fellow Zeon to take the compound. Only after Shiro Amada was felled did Lethe's Dom succumb to its blows – a beam saber strike leading to mechanical failure and then destruction.
Hugo Lethe was granted a posthumous two rank promotion to Pilot Officer. His remains are scheduled to be shipped via Lhasa to Zum City, where he will be buried with military honors.
