Editing Leonard McCarthy

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| name                = Leonard McCarthy
| birthdate           = [[3007]]
| died                =
| othernames          = Mace,<br>Leon
| affiliation         = [[Waco Rangers]]
| rank                = [[Major]]
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = [[Josiah McCarthy]] (father)
| siblings            =
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}
Major '''Leonard "Mace" McCarthy''' was a member of the [[Waco Rangers]] from at least [[3025]] to [[3067]].<ref name=MH>''Mercenary's Handbook'', p. 88</ref><ref name=BOC>''The Battle of Coventry'', p. 33</ref>

==History==
The son of the Waco Rangers' [[DropShip]] commander, [[Commodore]] [[Josiah McCarthy]], Leonard was born on the Rangers' DropShip ''[[Burden of Fate]]'' less than a month after the unit's formation in 3007.<ref name=MH87>''Mercenary's Handbook'', p. 87</ref> He had blue eyes and was a believer in the Waco Rangers' [[Death Oath]], hating the [[Wolf's Dragoons]] and not trusting them at all.<ref name=CCBA>''Tales from the Cracked Canopy: Blind Arrogance''</ref>

===Early Career===
Refusing his father's offer of a DropShip officer's commission, McCarthy choose MechWarrior training, earning his spot when the time came to graduate sometime before 3025 in the Rangers Tagedes' Medium Lance, Kelly's Headquarters Company of the Second Battalion (Kelly's Support Battalion).<ref name=MH/> This decision to follow his own path earned the respect of his fellow Rangers, including [[Colonel]] [[Wayne Waco]].<ref name=MH87/>

===Coventry===
By 3058, McCarthy had been promoted to captain and a senior role in [[Melissa Marshall]]'s [[battalion]] as the commander of the Maulers Company.<ref name=CCBA/> In this role, he was a part of the Waco Rangers' contribution to the [[Coventry Expeditionary Force]] which fought against [[Clan Jade Falcon]] during the [[Jade Falcon Incursion (3058)|Battle of Coventry]]. On 10 April 3058, he participated in the Waco Rangers' fighting against the [[3rd Falcon Talon (Clan Jade Falcon)|Third Falcon Talon Cluster]] after they landed on [[Coventry]], near the town of [[Lietnerton]].<ref name=BOC/>

He also led his company during the Waco Rangers' attempt to flank the Jade Falcon forces via the Dales Highlands on Coventry on 21 April 3058, which blundered into a Jade Falcon ambush. The Rangers, including McCarthy's company, suffered heavy casualties in this battle including McCarthy himself being captured by the Falcons.

McCarthy was later released when the Falcons accepted [[Victor Steiner-Davion]]'s offer of ''[[hegira]]'', and was promoted to [[major]] by [[Colonel]] [[Wayne Rogers]]. In the aftermath of this battle and his release from captivity, McCarthy was knocked out by his subordinate [[Lieutenant]] [[Manny Totske]], who he had attempted to reduce in rank for disobeying a direct order to hold after Totske retreated from the Rangers’ defeat in the Dales. This incident resulted in Totske leaving the Waco Rangers.<ref name=CCBA/>

===First Battle of Harlech===
By 3067, Leonard McCarthy was the Waco Rangers' Executive Officer and Wayne Waco's most trusted confidant. He helped Waco plan the [[First Battle of Harlech (3067)|First Battle of Harlech]] on 11 October 3067, an unexpected attack upon Wolf's Dragoons' home planet of [[Outreach]]. Waco killed his [[Word of Blake|Blakist]] agent [[Leopold Jenkins]] in his office and ordered McCarthy to get rid of his body. McCarthy pointed out that the Rangers could not win, but Waco denied it; for him, the victory was to hurt the Dragoons all that they could. McCarthy later participated in the battle, Waco's last effort to fulfil his Death Oath, which resulted in the destruction of the Waco Rangers.<ref name=ICD>''An Ice-Cold Dish''</ref>

==BattleMech==
Leonard McCarthy initially piloted a ''[[Hatchetman]]'' [[BattleMech]] around 3025.<ref name=MH/> By 3058, he was piloting an [[Orion|ON1-M ''Orion'']].<ref name=BOC/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[The Battle of Coventry (scenario pack)|The Battle of Coventry]]''
* ''[[An Ice-Cold Dish]]''
* ''[[Mercenary's Handbook]]''
* ''[[Tales from the Cracked Canopy: Blind Arrogance]]''

[[Category:Waco Rangers Characters|McCarthy, Leonard]]