John Churchill

Lieutenant Colonel John Robert "Jack" Churchill, DSO and Bar, MC and Bar, nicknamed "Fightin' Jack" or "Mad Jack" was a Scottish-born UNSC Army ODST who famously fought in the First and Second Great Wars using a bow, arrows, and his officer's sword. His reasoning for this was; "any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed."

Early life
Born in 2500 Edinburgh to Scottish parents and educated at George Heriot's School and the University of St Andrews, Churchill graduated from Sandhurst in 2523. He served in the Eridanus Star System with the Black Watch after it was called up by the UNSC Army for anti-terrorist duties on Tribute. He was Mentioned in Despatches after leading his platoon to capture an Insurrectionist-dominated village. At the end of his tour, he was promoted to Captain. While on leave, he used his archery and bagpipe talents to play a small role in a remake of the film Braveheart, which was universally despised by critics and audiences.

War service
"Why do you want to join the ODSTs, young man? It sounds dangerous, sir."

- A UNSC Special Forces recruiting officer and Churchill in 2524, regarding Churchill's resoning for joining the ODSTs.

After hearing of the United Rebel Front's destruction of the National Holiday, Churchill knew that the campaign was about to be taken up a notch, and was determined to get into the thick of things. He signed up for ODST duty in the Parachute Regiment, subordinate to UNSC Army Special Operations Command. Despite the glorification of the ODSTs in video games, films, and T.V series, Churchill had little idea of what their actual roles were, but signed up because it sounded dangerous. After the Covenant's attack on Harvest, however, Operation: TREBUCHET was rapidly cut short and the Paras were deployed the Preston J. Cole's attack force to Harvest. The Paras were the first UNSC unit to see action at the Second Battle of Harvest, and Churchill's platoon ambushed a Covenant patrol near the ruins of Utgard. Churchill gave the signal to attack by cutting down a Sangheili Major with his barbed arrows, becoming the only known UNSC soldier to have felled an enemy with a longbow in the course of the war.

Behind the Scenes

 * The article was heavily inspired by Jack Churchill, a World War II British soldier who famously fought using a longbow and claymore throughout the war.