CHARACTER HISTORY

 

   Harold James Medicus was born March 15, 1950 in Richmond, Virginia to a well to do aristocratic southern family. An only child his father Frederick was a retired US Army Brigadier General, a West Pointer, and a veteran of twenty years service. Who saw extensive action during World War II. He served with the 82nd Airborne as a Company Commander and later as a staff officer with XVIII Airborne Corps. His Combat Jumps included Normandy and Market Garden with 82nd. He also made a combat glider landing during Operation Varsity, the Rhine Crossings as a liason to the British 6th Airborne Division. He went in by Hamilcar Glider with one of the new lendlease M22 Locust Tanks. The start of the Korean Conflict saw him posted to the staff of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur in Japan. He would go ashore, as a liason officer with the Marines at Inchon. When Truman later relieved MacArthur, Colonel Medicus was outraged. His views and critisms of the president became common knowledge and he was quickly promoted to Brigadier General with much fanfare and then quietly retired.

   Harold’s mother Rebecca was raised a traditional southern belle. A true beauty her family disapproved but allowed her to attend Emory University Nursing School. She had no intention of being the traditional southern wall flower and went to work as a registered nurse. She met Harold’s father at a hospital blood drive.  Swept off her feet in whirlwind romance that lasted all of six months by the dashing Colonel Medicus. They were married just before he left for Japan in 1949. Harold was born a year later.

   Young Harold attended the finest private schools and travelled to Europe several times during summer vacations. He developed an interest in parachuting and gliders from his father. He became quite a skilled skydiver and learned to fly a war surplus Waco Glider his father purchased. Harold earned quite a reputation as a Don Juan, his dashing good looks and high speed cars made him quite the favorite with the debutantes of the area. He was also a constant sourse of irritation to the local authorities with his high speed driving.  He became very prominent in local re-enactment unit the 1st Virgina Cavalry (Jeb Stuarts original CSA Command) in which his father was the Regimental Commander. Young Harold became the battery commander for the attached Horse Artillery. It was said he was equally skillfull with his Le Matt revolver and 12 Pounder Napoleon field piece. For his 16th birthday his father arranged a spot on the Ferrari Grand Prix Racing Team’s pit crew. Young Harry was proving quite skilled and had even qualified as the team’s third string driver. Accusations of his off track romantic activities led to his return to the states before the season ended. This combined with political enemies his father had acquired over  the years blocked his attempts to acquire an appointment to West Point. Additional disaster struck in 1967 his parents were killed in a plane crash. Harry was devastated. He turned down an appointment to prestigous southern Military Academy VMI (Virginia Military Institute) and enlisted in the Army. He went through Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Infantry Training, and finally jump school, at Fort Benning, Georgia. He received orders to the 82nd Airborne and arrived in Vietnam just before the Tet Offensive of 1968. He earned a CIB (Combat Infantry Badge), Combat Patch, and a Purple Heart.

    Completing his tour as E-4/Specialist Four; he applied and was accepted for Special Forces Training with a Primary MOS 18D Spec Ops Medical Sergeant (46 weeks) and a Secondary MOS of 18C Spec Ops Engineer (13 weeks). The following year 1970 saw newly promoted Sergeant Medicus back to Vietnam for a second tour with 5th Special Forces Group. Upon completion of that tour he was selected for the Task Force that would launch the Son Toy Raid to free American P.O.W.’s. The intelligence failure that failed to discover that the P.O.W.’s had been moved gave him a serious distrust of the Intelligence Community in general and never learned to forgive.

    His service however had been exemplary and he was offered an appointment to West Point, which he accepted. He would graduate with the Class of 76 the last officers and gentlemen. As the academy would accept its first female cadets that fall. His only regret at graduation was that his father hadn’t lived to see it. He, perhaps unwisely, did send invitations to most of his father’s political enemies who had early blocked his attempts to enter the Military Academy. He continued his medical studies by acquiring his pre-med skills with a B.S. Degree in Chemistry. His first assignment out of the academy was as a staff officer assigned to Special Forces Detachment Berlin. While assigned there he was able to cross-train with the Royal Marine Commandos attending their Sniper School (highly unusual for an officer but his previous enlisted service and recent combat experience earned him a waivor). He also trained with the 22nd S.A.S attending UK Jump School as a refresher course. He proudly displayed his British Jump wings above his American ones.

   During 1979 he is rumored, while on leave, to have participated in covert operation in Africa with a unit known as the Wild Geese under the command of Colonel Alex Faulkner a noted British Mercenary.

   The formation of 1st Special Forces Operation Detachment Delta saw First Lieutenant Medicus return to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Operation Eagle Claw the failed Iran Rescue Mission in April 1980 disillusioned young Lieutenant Medicus as he saw by having two many chiefs and not enough Indians how plans could go down the crapper. His open and vocal criticism of the multi-service debacle reached to many places and offended several senior officers in the SpecialOps Command. Orders were cut and he was shipped off to a desk in the Recruiting Command. His promotion to Captain came through at the same time cutting short his protests of harrassment.

   Making the best of a screwed situation he called a few of his father’s old army buddies for help and while they said he was stuck with recruiting duty. They arranged for him to be assigned back home to Richmond. The next two years did little for his military career but wonders for his social life. Not dependent on his Army paycheck due to the family money. He had a freedom to do as he pleased. He returned to Europe on leave to follow Grand Prix racing. Home in Richmond he was seen at all the prominent social events with a different beautiful girl on his arm each night. Several of his Army Superiors resented his flashy life style comparing it Patton flaunting his personal wealth in the 30’s. Charges of fraternization with recruits were trumped up and while the resulting investigation generated no evidence they did convince Harry it was time to make a change.

   Taking advantage of the the natural rift between Special Forces and Rangers; Captain Medicus gave his bosses the finger and applied for Ranger School. The Rangers were more than happy to grab a combat veteran away from the Green Beanies. He completed Ranger school earning his Black Beret and Ranger Tab and was assigned as Company Comander in the 1st/75th Infantry Regiment Ranger (Airborne). October 1983 saw him doing what he had always heard his father talk about, making a combat jump. Elements of the 1st and 2nd Ranger Battlaions assaulted Grenada airdropping and seizing Point Salines Airport from the defending forces which included Cuban Combat Engineers. Grenada earned him a Silver Star and got him in more hot water with his superiors. Several of his men were brought up on charges of looting and bringing home war trophies, specifically Cuban AK-47’s. Captain Medicus’ defense for his men was why is it Ok for a Colonel or General to bring one home for the Battalion Headquarters or Officers Club trophy wall but a court martial offense for a Sergeant. The charges were dropped but Medicus had added to an enemies list he described as long but distinguished.

   Totally fed up with the Reguler Army Harry decided to resign his commission in 1984 and joined the Alabama National Guard as part of the 20th Special Forces Group. At the same time he applied for Medical School at Emory University. His age of 34 was well above the norm but his completion of a Masters in Biology at VMI with honors (85-86) as well as his mother being an Alumni got his foot in the door. That was all it took and he completed medical school (87-90) earning his Phd/MD. He maintained an intensive training program with the National Guard Special Forces being promoted to Major and placed in command of a B-Team (SF Company HQ and six A-Teams).

   August 1990 saw the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the recall of Major Medicus to active duty. An MD but assigned as a Chemical Warfare Specialist. His Chemistry and Bilogy degrees combined with his medical diploma, and first hand experience as a Special Forces Medic made him the ideal medical staff officer for XVIII Corps. An appointment he accepted with pride as his father had served with the very same unit during World War II. As the Gulf war wrapped up fate once again reared its ugly head. Major Medicus fell in love with a young Army Nurse. First Lieutenant Constance Rosenberg.  The resulting scandal, she was not only a junior officer, but almost 17 years younger than him sent shock waves rippling through a military headquarters that had triumphed and wanted to celebrate. Major Medicus knew he stood little chance in the upcoming court martial based on his past track record and the numerous enemies he and his father before him had piled up over the years. Not wanting to ruin her career he broke off the relationship and retired. Summers was devastated and the Army relieved.

   Medicus made arrangements to have the family money placed in various trust funds to provide medical and military scholarships to VMI and Emory University. Hopped on plane to France and disappeared.

   The next five years allowed Harry to relax and put his life in perspective as a member of the French Foreign Legion. Assigned to the elite 2nd Regiment Etranger Parachutists (2nd Foreign Legion Para). He was quite content to serve as a sergeant and medic in the rapid-deployment air-commando regiment. Assigned to the Pathfinder Platoon he sharpened his parachuting and reconnaissance skills. Declining all offers to attend O.C.S. or advanced medical training. He proudly added French Jump Wings to his collection which already included U.S. and U.K. At the end of his five year tour as he considered re-enlisting he was approached by a small group of officials from Morrow Industries in March 1995. The rest as they say is history.