“ I was too old for this crap twenty years ago. You can imagine how much I'm enjoying it now. - Gordon's Specialist quote”
Lieutenant Colonel Harold "Buzz" Gordon is a unit commander/rifleman who may have served with The Ghosts during the Russian War of 2008, Colombian Conflict and the Cuban Crisis of 2010.
Biography
Harold "Buzz" Gordon was born March 17, 1955 in Jefferson City, MO. His father Thomas, who died in 1984, and mother Augusta, both worked on the family farm. Two-sport star in high school, made All-State in football as a quarterback. Attended West Point (Class of 1975) and stood fifteenth in his class. Entered service with 82nd Airborne just after the retreat from Saigon. Made Captain in 1979 and transferred to Special Forces. Was part of the attempted rescue of American hostages at the U.S. embassy in Teheran in 1980, which was his first field operation with Special Forces. Served with distinction in Haiti and Panama. He was also attached to U.S. forces in Mogadishu and was then stationed for four years in Germany. Was one of the first soldiers assigned to The Ghosts when they were formed in 1994. Commands the assault unit.
During the First Korean war, he promoted Scott Mitchell to Ghost Lead. He chewed Mitchell out after their first mission with the White Skull Brigade went awry, but forced Mitchell to keep going out as he trusted the captain.
He may have participated in operations with The Ghosts during the war of 2008. He may have also fought during the Cuban crisis two years later.
Waziristan rescue (2009)
He watched over a rescue mission in Waziristan in January 2009 and debriefed Captain Scott Mitchell. He said he wanted the captain in Eritrea for a possible conflict there.
Since Mitchell took over as Ghost Team Leader, Gordon has taken a less active role, acting as part of Ghost Command. He's now Lieutenant Colonel Harold Gordon.
China mission (2012)
In April 2012 he briefed Mitchell before Operation War Wraith.
Afghanistan (2013)
Gordon later briefed Mitchell following an operation in Afghanistan.
Personality
Gordon speaks just enough German to be able to order a beer, and otherwise has little use for anything made outside of the U.S.A. Fiercely patriotic, he is married to his career and to the unit. He is savagely protective of his people and will not send them in unless there's a damn good reason to do so - and a good chance they'll be coming out the other side. The soldiers under his command refer to him as "The Old Man" and would willingly run through a brick wall for him (though Cohen would prefer to blow it up on his behalf instead). He never asks his people go to anyplace he won't, and has a bad habit of taking point on occasion. Gordon has an encyclopedic knowledge of military history and a wealth of personal experience, and it is rare that he finds himself in a situation for which he has no precedent. His persona is aggressively gruff, and he has no patience for slackers, shirkers or anyone who isn't up to his extremely high standards for the Ghosts.
Mitchell reflected that Gordon would have "four-letter words" for counter-insurgency operations, and believed that the Ghosts were like surgeons who removed cancer.
Gallery
Trivia
- Bio details: height is 6'1" (185cm), weight is 186 lbs (84 kg), hair color is gray or white and eyes are blue.
- He is one of the unlockable Rifleman specialists in the first Ghost Recon games.
- While some called Gordon "the old man," Joe Ramirez was more fond of "O-G" AKA "Original Ghost" not "Original Gangsta" for the colonel.
- Mitchell liked Gordon, whose white crew cut was trimmed weekly because being squared away was in his words, the way God intended him to be. Mitchell appreciated Gordon's old-school tactics and belief that people made the difference. Technology only enhanced their skills.
- In Jungle Storm, Harold uses a FN-FAL instead of the M16A2.
Appearances
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon novel
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (First appearance)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Combat Ops (Mentioned only)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands: Dark Waters (Mentioned only)
- Tom Clancy's EndWar: The Hunted (Mentioned only)