We need a screencap of Lockes apartment. It looked like a big display of all his Weebalo badges, on the wall behind him.

it was badges, could have been weebalo

it was badges, could have been weebalo

If it is, that's kind of sad. By that age most of us have replaced our childhood trophies with adult accomplishments and family type things. Like Ben said, John wasted a good chunk of his life shuffling papers at the box company. He deserves a happily ever after ending, but I don't see that in his future. I am so glad I didn't spoil myself this week. The surprises were excellent.

If it is, that's kind of sad. By that age most of us have replaced our childhood trophies with adult accomplishments and family type things. Like Ben said, John wasted a good chunk of his life shuffling papers at the box company. He deserves a happily ever after ending, but I don't see that in his future. I am so glad I didn't spoil myself this week. The surprises were excellent.Agreed. This was definitely another ep that makes us feel for Locke.

We need a screencap of Lockes apartment. It looked like a big display of all his Weebalo badges, on the wall behind him.


Thanks for pointing that out! My son just finished Webelos, last week (got his Arrow of Light!). I would have missed the badges had you not said anything. I can't wait to see the screencaps to see if that's what they really were!

Thanks for pointing that out! My son just finished Webelos, last week (got his Arrow of Light!). I would have missed the badges had you not said anything. I can't wait to see the screencaps to see if that's what they really were!

Thanks for replying and showing me the proper spelling. Nothing more annoying than looking at a spelling mistake in a thread title.

Agreed. This was definitely another ep that makes us feel for Locke.

Playing devil's advocate here, but the fact that Locke was selfish in blowing up the sub kind of kills any sympathy I have for him. Well better put I am torn. Yes his story is tragic, but is it enough to make him do something that hurts 40 or so friends?

Thanks for replying and showing me the proper spelling. Nothing more annoying than looking at a spelling mistake in a thread title.

don't worry about it. who cares about spelling when you're typing fast and enjoying the show!!! It was a great catch and I would have missed it had it not been for you, so thanks! :D


Edit: oh, in case you are wondering, Webelos stands for We be Loyal Scouts. Kind of corny, i know, but that's what it means! :coolorng:

They're not Webelos badges (there is only one Webelo badge, not counting the Arrow of Light). They appear to be military, in a display case entitled "Special Operations Forces."

screencap: http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage-1267-99.html

My friend always said John was special forces. Army Ranger patch and airborne is what I see off-hand. Any more recognized?

Good catch, and I think that does say a great deal about Locke. I mean, they guy was working in a toy section at Wal-Mart at age 40. He hasn't exactly had an accomplished life.

But what made him work in a toy section at 40, when he once was apparently accomplished enough to receive those medals? Was it the depression? He was apparently depressed after his father screwed up his life, and his girlfriend left him. But has he been depressed before?

Having the Webelos badge isn't so strange, especially since it's lumped with other medals. What I am curious about is, if he was rasied by foster families, how did he manage to hold onto that? Or was he only raised by ONE foster family?

... when he once was apparently accomplished enough to receive those medals? ...?

Point of clarification, the display shows unit patches - and I don't think that any one individual earns (or gets assigned) to that many units during one career - It implies that it is just a display of unit patches and not earned accomplishments.

I think that Locke was raised by one foster mother for most of his childhood. There was something he said about his sister, a dog, and his foster mother. Maybe he just likes to collect military memoribilia. My uncle has a collection of WWII stuff and he was not in WWII, but he was in the military.

It is likely that Locke was in the military at some point, he does know how to do some really amazing stuff with knives, tracking, guns, explosives. He had to have learned that somehwere. He could just be one of those guys that loved mii\litary life and like to surround himself with military things.

Another viable possibility is that he was career military. Let's say he joined when he was 18, served for 20 years, gets out, has his pension and starts to work in the toy store. We know he loves to play with things (chess game anyone?) A toy store would be great for him and he didn't need the money if he had a pension.

I don't buy any of this discussion at all:

1. They were not boy scout badges, they are US Army badges.
2. They are not in a trophy case, they are on a poster on his wall
3. This poster can be purchased at an army/navy supply store. When I was in Jr High a friend of mine had a poster of WW2 insignia, that made him a military hobbyist

Therefore I believe this scene shows that Locke at this sad state of his life, was nothing more than a army surplus store frequenting dreamer. We have already seen that he likes to play Risk or some war game variant. We have already seen that he couldn't keep his hands off the computer chess game in the face of real-world intrigue. This guy would be, had he been 10 years younger, a computer nerd. Perhaps paint ball. But he is a nerd, he is not successful.

It's worth noting that he learned to hunt from his father after he was at the toy store. Those hunting skills plus the knife collection and the live off the land commune and the Australian dream were part of the "new Locke."

he dreamed he could be tough and do things and then eventually he did them- that is part of why he loves the island. I know people from the military and Locke as we've seen him exhibits none of those traits. He DOES however exhibit the traits of a wannabe or military hobbyist or soldier of fortune reader or outdoorsy type. If Locke was in Special Forces then he acts unlike other people I know who did that.

Don

Another viable possibility is that he was career military. Let's say he joined when he was 18, served for 20 years, gets out, has his pension and starts to work in the toy store. We know he loves to play with things (chess game anyone?) A toy store would be great for him and he didn't need the money if he had a pension.

I seem to recall his boss at the box factory taunting him by saying he wanted to be called "Colonel", yet he had no record of prior military service. Season 1 "Walkabout", I think.

Like I said on the other thread, it makes John's line to Ben, "For all you know I could have been a Commander in the Navy", a lot more interesting. If John was special forces and he has mad skills, he may have lied about not having any military history. I'd love to see a flashback of this.

Playing devil's advocate here, but the fact that Locke was selfish in blowing up the sub kind of kills any sympathy I have for him. Well better put I am torn. Yes his story is tragic, but is it enough to make him do something that hurts 40 or so friends?


oh i WISH i could stop feeling sorry for him. I am aching. i mean ACHING after that episode.

I still think that it's going to play out in the coming weeks...

I think Locke wanted to be all of those things, but couldn't because of whatever reason. He is / was a military enthusiast and now that he's on the island, he's finally understanding that he can be or do ANYTHING that he wants, all he has to do is believe and it will happen.

I keep thinking of the scene where he's showing Walt how to throw knives "picture it in your mind's eye and then just throw it".

The other scene that I keep thinking about is from last week. Mikhail said to Sayid "what do you THINK it does" when Sayid asked what the fence was for. Sayid then goes into an explanation about a sonic blablabla and BLAM, that's what it was.

Like I said on the other thread, it makes John's line to Ben, "For all you know I could have been a Commander in the Navy", a lot more interesting. If John was special forces and he has mad skills, he may have lied about not having any military history. I'd love to see a flashback of this.

Not that Randy is a genius or anything, but there's this from "Walkabout":

"RANDY: Hallmark, huh? Tell me more about being a leader, Locke. While you're at it, tell me about this Col. thing. I cruised your file in human resources, you've never been in any of the armed forces."

Of course, if he was in Special Forces, his service might not be on record...

This guy would be, had he been 10 years younger, a computer nerd. Perhaps paint ball. But he is a nerd, he is not successful.

I think Bill Gates and Steve Jobs would dissagree.

Of course, if he was in Special Forces, his service might not be on record...

I was in a Special Ops unit. Before anyone thinks I'm a poser, let me say that I had the most boring, non-hollywood job possible. I was in a support role. But, I still know enough about the units to know that it's not as under cover as you think. Sure, while they're in the unit, it's somewhat hush-hush. But, after they're out, who the heck cares?

That poster on the wall is meaningless. It's just a basic poster showing unit patches for Army SpecOps units. You can probably buy one at Wal-Mart.

Besides, if he was in some unit that was so secret that he couldn't even list his military service on a job app, then what the hell is he doing with a giant poster on his wall? I think the canteen is the most telling thing in the photo. He's an enthusiast, period.

oh i WISH i could stop feeling sorry for him. I am aching. i mean ACHING after that episode.

Same here. That one hurt.:sadwalk:

Sadly, I also think it's a poster (like DonWidmore said). Maybe very interested in the military, but in it? Probably not our John. :( I would love it if he had been, though.

Well it looked as if he was being treated for depression, so maybe he was special ops and had to leave the military for some reason and was depressed working the civilian life. He surrounded himself with military stuff (posters, games, etc.) to make him feel more comfortable.

Okay, here are the badges I can recognize:

1st row, 1st badge - Sword with three lightning bolts - Army Special Forces Group Patch
1st row, 2nd badge - Horse with lightning bolt behind head - 1st Special Operations Command Patch (Obsolete)
1st row, 4th badge - Golden spearhead on black oval - Special Operations Command
1st row, 5th badge - Black sword on red spade - US Army Special Operations Command Patch
1st row, 6th badge - (NOT 100% SURE OF THIS ONE) Looks like the silver sword on green background - Civil Affairs Psychological Operations Command Patch
1st row, 7th badge - John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center Patch (Airborne Group)

3rd row, middle center - Ranger Tab
3rd row, bottom center - the arcing patch - 2nd Ranger Battalion

The bottom three rows generally look like Unit Crests (which would be harder to track down, but not impossible)
100%
Since 6 of the 7 on the first row are Army Spec Ops, I'm guessing that the rest of them are individual unit crests/badges.

Locke walked right onto the submarine and knew exactly where the light switch was.
There military things in Locke's other apartment.
There were more pictures in his apartment with the American flag on them.

Yes, people collect many things but I don't know if i would trust information given by Randy.

I'm one of the "Locke is a secret military man" people for sure. I loved when he said "for all you know I could have been a navy commander." He knows they know everything about him, so why would he say that?? BECAUSE he know s that info could be classified. Who's to say things like that aren't?? Especially if he was on some CIA type secret agent at some point.

I would really like to think that Locke is going to expose this whole charade!!!

For so long,. Locke looked like a weakling, but he IS BACK NOW! WATCH OUT!!!:o

Okay, here are the badges I can recognize...

You're good iklimon. I found the top row of patches on this web page:
http://www.vetshome.com/military_special_ops.htm

--

Locke walked right onto the submarine and knew exactly where the light switch was.
There military things in Locke's other apartment.
There were more pictures in his apartment with the American flag on them.

Yes, people collect many things but I don't know if i would trust information given by Randy.


I'm leaning towards him being former military. They threw a lot of evidence at us in one episode for it to be meaningless. But it could just be more reinforcement of how rich Locke's fantasy life was (and how much in contrasted the life he was living). :confused:

Did anyone else notice that the geiger counter that everyone was obsessed with in one of Locke's past flashbacks, and was also seen in the hatch, is once again seen in his apartment.

It is on the counter next to the refridgerator by the red towel/jacket.

What could he possibly need that for?

Here is the link again: http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage-1267-99.html

Did anyone else notice that the geiger counter that everyone was obsessed with in one of Locke's past flashbacks, and was also seen in the hatch, is once again seen in his apartment.

It is on the counter next to the refridgerator by the red towel/jacket.

What could he possibly need that for?

Here is the link again: http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage-1267-99.html
Yes, that geiger counter appears again. Wonder when it is actually going to come into play?

...also just to add a very weak piece of evidence to the "Locke: Special Forces or not" discussion, there is also a military style canteen in a camoflage pouch at the very bottom of that same shot.

http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage-1267-99.html

Locke's room - Walkabout (http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b389/SamG1/?action=view&current=lostep040978.jpg)

Notice the plate on the dresser (http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b389/SamG1/?action=view&current=lostep040981.jpg)

There's the picture of what looks like military men, the flag, the little flags in the cup by his bed, and the geiger counter again.

We've only seen a small slice of Locke's life. Men seeking family and structure are often drawn to the military (I said that poorly but many of you will know what I mean).

The evidence is massive, by Lost standards. There's *something* to the Locke & military connection.
He was either a wanna be (no military), a semi-wanna-be (grunt) or the genuine deal.

If a wannabe or semi, it's possible someone 'recruited' him and made him believe he is/was some sort of top-secret special ops type. Hence his lie to the box company HR.

Locke, part shaman, all sucker: gotta love him, what an original character..

remember what eko said to locke,
"... because you are an hunter."

locke seemed pleased that someone else
acknowledged his wishful (?) belief about himself.

locke seems like a wannabe or at least an enthusiast
for things military.

and remember that he knew how to handle a gun
when he was in that hippie commune. that was
before he met cooper.

************************

"just because you're wearing cowboy boots
doesn't mean you can ride a horse."

from: really important stuff my kids have taught me
by cynthia copeland lewis

While reading this thread, I got the idea that maybe Locke joined a local non military homeland security type group. I saw a documentary on a group like this once. They were underground, privately funded and very secretive. It's not such a big leap to think he may have done this after seeing the episode with the pot farm gang. If he couldn't get into the regular army he may have sought out such an organization to fulfill his love of all things military. I googled volunteer military (which gives info on the real military) and found something funny in the questions they ask of volunteers. http://www.volunteertoday.com/GOVT/militarygovt.html
22. Are you primarily a numbers person?

Ok, after looking at this stuff & talking to my former military husband this is what he told me.....
All of the memoribilia seems to be Army.
Special Ops groups are not allowed to have any special markings (tattoos, distinquishing scars) and they "do not exist" as they are not supposed to be able to be tracked.
He also mentioned the plate on the dresser is Army.
This would indicate to me that Locke was Army at some point.
Also in that same wide shot of Locke in bed, on the wall on the left side is a poster (?) of military boarding/getting off of a military helicopter.
Notice as well, the possible rifle bag/case against the wall next to the couch, left of the dresser.

And by the way, I am primarily a numbers person..HAHAHA!!

and remember that he knew how to handle a gun
when he was in that hippie commune. that was
before he met cooper.Was it pre-Cooper? I had the impression he joined the commune to help forget the Kidney Incident.

its not that sad. it probably taught him a lot of SKILLS that adults on the island dont have that make them far more dependent than children in hunter-gatherer societies who know how to forage and hunt small game on their own.

you might want to re-think whats "accomplishments" and "trophies" are and their value in regards to lock.

the adults on LOST island were more infantile and dependent on Locke's skills early on than he ever was in civilization.


If it is, that's kind of sad. By that age most of us have replaced our childhood trophies with adult accomplishments and family type things. Like Ben said, John wasted a good chunk of his life shuffling papers at the box company. He deserves a happily ever after ending, but I don't see that in his future. I am so glad I didn't spoil myself this week. The surprises were excellent.
100%
being a hunter has nothing to do with a warrior class and/or military.
everyone biologically was formed through hunting and gathering.
the show just wants to use a dichotomy between hunters vs. farmers in that episode like the bible does between Cain (the farmer) and Abel (the pastoralist). 'pick a side', an ideology, is what this show is about. black vs. white.

theres plenty of H/G cultures who dont hold up hunters accomplishments as a levelling mechanism (to keep people humbled) and in most of them gathering makes up a majority of the food intake.

the show is just using generic assumptions about things and tries to blur it as a grey.


remember what eko said to locke,
"... because you are an hunter."

locke seemed pleased that someone else
acknowledged his wishful (?) belief about himself.

locke seems like a wannabe or at least an enthusiast
for things military.

and remember that he knew how to handle a gun
when he was in that hippie commune. that was
before he met cooper.

************************

"just because you're wearing cowboy boots
doesn't mean you can ride a horse."

from: really important stuff my kids have taught me
by cynthia copeland lewis

Even though he is my hero, I don't feel sorry for Locke. I think we just have greater knowledge of his life.

I don't know if he served military or not, but Locke doesn't seem the type to run down to the local Wally World and buy a military poster just for the whoop. He seems a spartan kind of guy and would only bother to have things around him that meant something to him.

The geiger counter keeps giving me pause. Locke doesn't seem the paranoid type to run around checking every corner, so what's with the machine?

Could a person get disability for depression because they had been conned out of a kidney and lost their girlfriend? I thought disability was hard to get. I know those are huge disappointments, but are they enough to completely disable you?

Could a person get disability for depression because they had been conned out of a kidney and lost their girlfriend?

I think it's less about the events that triggered the mental illness and more about the severity of the illness itself. People can be severely depressed without any trigger incident whatsoever - and if his depression was severe enough to prevent him from keeping a job, I would assume that would be when disability would kick in.