Jimmy Wycroft

CHARACTER
Jimmy Wycroft
Gender	Male
Death	1957 Hangar 51, Nevada, United States of America
Nationality	American
Profession(s)	Military Policeman Sergeant
Allegiance(s)	Wycroft family US Military Police

"Sorry gentlemen, this whole area is closed for weapons testing for the next 24 hours. That includes all on-base personnel."

―Sergeant Wycroft

MP Sergeant Jimmy Wycroft was a member of the US Military Police stationed at the perimeter of Hangar 51 in 1957.

Biography

Early life and career

As a teenager, Jimmy Wycroft had worked in his father's garage in Muncie, Indiana and was thus familiar with American cars. Growing up, Wycroft joined the military, got the rank of sergeant and got stationed on the Nevada desert in 1952, coming to dislike it.

A fatal guard

In 1957, one day when the Hangar 51 base went on 24-hour lockdown due to nearby weapons testing by the United States Central Command, Jimmy Wycroft was left in charge of four men, including Corporal Higgins and Private Mitchell, at the front gate to keep out unauthorized personnel. Watching a 1932 Ford roadster race against the lead car of an Army convoy after grounding an scorpion under his boot heel, Wycroft bet on the roadster, while Higgins bet on the Army vehicle. Knowing the roadster's engine, Wycroft won the bet and collected Higgins' money.

As the Army convoy arrived at the gates, Wycroft and the other MPs left the guard station to approach the front car. Leaning in to the passenger side of the lead car, he let the guests know about the lockdown. After one of his men saluted "Colonel Truman", walking from another vehicle, Wycroft began to repeat the orders regarding the base closure. However, it turned out the "Truman" and all of his men were a group of Soviet Special Forces in disguise. Realizing something wasn't right, Wycroft tried to reach for his gun, but was too late. As he expired, Wycroft saw Higgins die and hoped Mitchell had escaped only to see he had been killed too, getting his armband removed by the colonel and spotting the base's name and a scorpion climbing to his nose that reminded him that not only the desert killed the unwary as he, coughing blood, passed away from his injuries. Gunned down, the bodies of Wycroft and his men were dragged away from the guard house.

Personality and traits

A militar, Sergeant Jimmy Wycroft was willing to do his duties as mandated, like when he forbade "Colonel Truman" and his men from entering Hangar 51 due to the lockdown and repeated such orders to them when it became obvious that they weren't going to obey him despite his voice crackling with command, refusing to look cowed or daunted. Due being stationed at the desert for five years, Wycroft came to hate it like the plaintive sound of his voice, thus he learned to make his pleasure whenever he could, like by hanging out with his fellow stationed men, to whom he insisted to look lively when someone arrived at their base and cracking off a crisp saliste himself if he realized an officer had a rank higher than his like a colonel.

Having been raised by a mechanic, Wycroft had great knowledge about American cars, knowledge which then helped him to win a bet with one of his men about which car from the two they were seeing was going to win the race, a thin smile and later a large grin forming within his mouth due to his confidence on winning a gentleman's wagger, not bothering to even see the finish and boasting that wisdom came with age. In a sad twist of irony, such money would have no use for him, as he died shortly afterwards.

Behind the scenes

Jimmy Wycroft was portrayed by Robert Baker in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The character was identified as the "MP Sergeant" in the film's credits. The "Air Police" armband identifies him and his men as members of the US Air Force's Air Police. While unnamed in the film itself, Wycroft's character is named in James Rollins' novelization, which also expands upon his backstory and has him being personally disarmed by Antonin Dovchenko as he gets shot.

In the Dark Horse Comics' comic book adaptation, Wycroft and the other MPs wear different uniforms and round helmets, more similar to Army MP uniforms than those of the Air Force's Air Police. In this version of the story, the Soviets kill Wycroft and the MPs straight after exiting the car instead of Dovchenko distracting Wycroft until his soldiers fire on them. Additionally, their bodies are simply left where they fell.

In LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, all the MPs survive the encounter with the Soviets and are taken as hostage. They are later forced to flee Hangar 51.

Appearances

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull novel
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comic

Sources

•  Indiana Jones Movie Photo Cards (Card: Base Under Siege!)
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Annual 2009