- "When was the last time I saw you?"
- ― Partridge to Sam Fisher on the USS Clarence E. Walsh
Arthur Partridge (1949 – July 4, 2007), was the commander (or "skipper") of the USS Clarence E. Walsh who appeared in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. He provided Sam Fisher and his field runner William Redding with a Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopter for use during the 2007 Cyber Attacks and Far East Asian Crisis. The SH-60 Seahawk was used as a substitute for the V-22 Osprey.
Biography[]
2007: Cyber Attacks of 2007[]
During the Far East Asia Crisis of 2007, Partridge was given command of the newly-commissioned USS Clarence E. Walsh. The vessel was to be deployed to the Yellow Sea in a show of force that was meant to warn the People's Republic of China and North Korea not to interfere further in Japanese affairs, in the wake of their protest of the formation of the Information Self-Defense Force (I-SDF).
Prior to the Yellow Sea deployment, Partridge was ordered to assist Fisher in infiltrating Peru, where he was to rescue American computer engineer Bruce Morgenholt from the People's Voice, a pro-communist guerrilla organization seeking to acquire the Masse Kernels for an unknown contact. Partridge provided Fisher with a Zodiac to deploy into the area and then extracted him from the enemy base's lighthouse by helicopter upon the mission's completion. Partridge also extracted Fisher from the Maria Narcissa after the latter executed Hugo Lacerda, the leader of the People's Voice.
Partridge also assisted Fisher in infiltrating the MCAS Banco de Panama, where he was to track down Lacerda's contacts who had funded his operations as well as his capture and subsequent murder of Morgenholt. Partridge was ordered to avoid Panama, having no authority to act within its borders. After Fisher returned to the States, Partridge continued onward to the Yellow Sea.
During the vessel's Independence Day celebrations on the 4th of July, 2007, Partridge was stationed on the Walsh when it was attacked by a North Korean "Super" Silkworm anti-ship missile. Prior to the attack, World News Media news anchor Morris O'Dell was interviewing one of crew members on the Walsh, who stated that Captain Partridge had planned a huge barbecue on the deck, complete with fireworks. The interview was interrupted as the ship's alarms blared, informing the crew of an imminent missile attack. Partridge acted quickly to counter the attack, only to discover that the ship's defensive systems were unresponsive, leaving the Walsh defenseless. It was shortly after that he was killed along with 160 sailors under his command.[2]
Captain Partridge's body was recovered along with those of his crew after they were retrieved by an American search and rescue team and sent back to the U.S. for a proper burial.
Profile[]
Arthur Partridge was captain of the USS Clarence E. Walsh and one of the U.S. Navy's top commanders, on course to become an admiral. A long time friend of Fisher's, Partridge was his commanding officer for a short time when Sam was a Navy SEAL, and the two maintained a good relationship over the years.