The Rambo Essential Timeline

[Jay Rambo]

Premise: John Rambo inhabits an alternative Earth, whose history events are slightly different from ours. The alterations are either minimal or heavy.


06/06/1947 - John J. Rambo is born from German descent R. Rambo and unspecified full-blooded American-Indian woman. Birthplace: Bowie, Arizona.

08/06/1964 - Rambo is drafted. He joins Army and its Special Forces. Colonel Samuel Trautman trains him.

1966/67 - Rambo is sent to fight in Vietnam alongside his teammates ('The Baker Team'): Messner, Ortega, Coletta, Jorgensen, Danforth, Berry, Krakauer. His codename: 'Raven'.

1972/74 - America still involved in the conflict (Alternate History). Now the Baker Team consists of few elements, including Rambo.
Rambo is captured by North Vietnamese forces near the Chinese-Vietnamese border and held at a POW camp, where he and other American POWs are repeatedly tortured. Finally, he is freed (or it was an escape).

1974 - Vietnam War is over. Rambo comes back home: United States of America.

1975/80 - Rambo wanders across the country as a drifter, still traumatized.

1980 - December. FIRST BLOOD.

1981/85 - While reclused in the Army Penitentiary (under Trautman's special request), Rambo undergoes a long series of psychological therapies. In the while, he works hard, grows muscular and learns new war techniques from books and fellow prison mates.

1985 - January or first few months. RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II.

1985/88 - Rambo relocates in Thailand. He apprentices as a martialist (kickboxing) and practices stickfighting.

1987 - Afghanistan War still going on (Alternate History).

1988 - RAMBO III.

1988/2007 - Rambo returns to Thailand. He starts his activity as snake catcher and land scout. Soon, he is nicknamed 'The Boatman' by locals. Gradually, he feels more and more detached from world, saddened and disappointed.

2001 - September 11th disaster never occurred, since Mujaheddins succedeed into creating a better Afghan society.

01/17/03 - Colonel Samuel Trautman dies.

2007 - RAMBO.

2008 - Rambo returns to America.

2018 - RAMBO V: LAST BLOOD




NOTES:

1- It seems that past wars in Rambo's Alternate History lasted much more, and COULD begin before the actual dates they arose in our timestream (the latter assumption is a conjecture).

2- Trautman hinted at 5 years of enprisonment already spent in the beginning of 'Rambo: First Blood Part II'. The big gap could also explain why Rambo looks so "build-up" and less traumatized in the second chapter.

3- In an interview, Stallone stated that Trautman died on the same day Crenna (the actor) passed away.

[Thomas From Denmark Loves Sly.]

I like that Sly respects Richard Crenna so much, that he kills off Truatman, because he knows that fans will not approve on someone else playing the beloved Colonel!

[The Crimson Idol]

Good read

[Jay Rambo]

More feedback, please!

I was wondering... could 'RAMBO' be set in a different year, long time before 2007? 2002 or even 2000? Just wondering.

...

[Thomas From Denmark Loves Sly.]

Oh Jay, that is a really good question.

I think a lot of study on Burma and its history is needed for the correct answer to that one.

[Jay Rambo]

Since in the Arizona ending Rambo's hair appear MUCH GREYER (look carefully, when he turns his back you could spot an HUGE white streak on his left side), it's safe to assume 'RAMBO' is set in 2005 or '06, while the ending is set some YEARS after, in 2008.

He didn't come back to America so fastly, I guess. It took some years. In the while, his hair became greyer.

[Saynt Jaymz]

admin said:

More feedback, please!

I was wondering... could 'RAMBO' be set in a different year, long time before 2007? 2002 or even 2000? Just wondering.

...

I would like to believe that Rambo IV takes place in the current times. I think the only time a date is used is in Rambo 2, so I would say that Rambo III and IV take place in their corresponding year of their release.
As far as the end of part IV, I would say that when he returns home, it is probably a few weeks after the rescue of the missionaries. I say that because his dream gave away that he wanted to go home, and at the end, he stares around for a while, finally realizing that Burma wasnt meant to be his home anymore. The gray hair, I would suppose, is just an occurance after having shorter hair. When his hair was longer in Burma, I think it covered up the random gray hairs. Rambo is 61, and even though he is the ultimate soldier, he has to have a few gray hairs here and there.

[Jay Rambo]

Saint,

Welcome aboard. You're pretty much right... it's just that Rambo sported an HUGE white streak in the end, not just "white hairs" here and there.

Hope you enjoyed the timeline, anyway.

[Saynt Jaymz]

admin said:

Saint,

Welcome aboard. You're pretty much right... it's just that Rambo sported an HUGE white streak in the end, not just "white hairs" here and there.

Hope you enjoyed the timeline, anyway.

Yes, the timeline was cool. Good job with it. I think it is accurate. Something like that should be included in a new Rambo box set. I already own 2, but I would buy another one if it came with extra content.

[Jay Rambo]

Many thanks to everyone, more feedback, please!

[slymick7]

admin said:

Since in the Arizona ending Rambo's hair appear MUCH GREYER (look carefully, when he turns his back you could spot an HUGE white streak on his left side), it's safe to a*sume 'RAMBO' is set in 2005 or '06, while the ending is set some YEARS after, in 2008.

He didn't come back to America so fastly, I guess. It took some years. In the while, his hair became greyer.

I think you're forgetting that every other scene,
his hair is noticeably wet, either from sweat and rain,
or just in general isn't dry.

[Jay Rambo]

Mick, you're NOT wrong. But white hair looks white the same, even wet.

[slymick7]

this is a good point...hmm..

headband coulda covered it?
it was quite long at the back.

[Jay Rambo]

slymick7 said:

this is a good point...hmm..

headband coulda covered it?
it was quite long at the back.

Mick, I just think 'RAMBO' ending is set some time after the final battle in Burma. And maybe it's a lot of time.

[Saynt Jaymz]

Well, I watched it again. And at the end, he does have, what looks to be a white streak in the back of his hair.....BUT, the glare of the sun was relevent, and it was shining directly down on his head. It looks like it was reflecting light off of his hair. Since Sly's hair was most likely dyed darker for the role, what we may be seeing is the light of the sunreflecting off of the dark black colors in his hair.