r/interestingasfuck • u/Alarming-Studio-720 • 11h ago
This is SAS operator John McAleese, supposedly one of the inspirations behind Call of Duty’s Captain Price. He was the commander during the SAS embassy siege and rescue in London, where he was seen planting explosive charges on a door to breach the embassy.
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u/Baraga91 11h ago
Wasn't Capt. Price's first appearance in one of the WW2 games - well before COD went the modern/special forces route?
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u/Messorschmidt 11h ago
Yes, he appears in the first CoD game.
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u/Baraga91 11h ago
Then aside from looking like him because of sideburns, what exactly did they base on this dude?
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u/Messorschmidt 10h ago
I read that Michael Graham Cox playing Captain Cleminson in the movie a bridge too far is the inspiration for Price.
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u/Brutalur 11h ago
What the hell kind of a name is soap, anyway?
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u/Crhallan 10h ago
If it’s based on UK servicemen, then Soap is likely short for Soapy, which would be a traditional nickname for anyone with the surname Souter (particularly in Scotland)
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u/TheNicholasRage 10h ago
Nah, It's because he can "clean" a room real fuckin' fast.
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u/FitButterscotch4062 10h ago
Or because he tastes gross
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u/TheNicholasRage 10h ago
No, lol, that's really why he's called soap in Call of Duty.
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u/FitButterscotch4062 9h ago
I also believe he tastes gross
Jokes aside, I remember playing that campaign when it first came out. So much fun and a lot of nostalgia
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u/Thatthereyuteclub 10h ago
was he the one who said 'Move your fuckin head' to Maggie Thatcher when they were watching it on the news that evening?
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u/The-Acid-Gypsy-Witch 10h ago
Think he said something along the lines of “Move your bloody head hen” if I recall correctly.
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u/Alarming-Studio-720 11h ago
Captain Price is actually based on a real soldier: John McAleese. McAleese's impressive resume, toughness, and even his rugged mustache all directly inspired the "Call of Duty" character that fans know and love. Just like Price, McAleese was an SAS soldier with experience in handling conflicts of international importance. Most famously, he was involved with the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London.
Born in Scotland in 1949, John Thomas "Mac" McAleese eventually went on to join the British army in 1969 at a mere 20 years old, according to Spec Ops Magazine. In 1975, he then passed the SAS selection course, joining the British Army's elite special forces unit. Five years later, McAleese's life changed forever when a hostage crisis took place at London's Iranian Embassy.
As noted by BBC News, the event began when six armed Iranians walked into the embassy and took 26 people hostage. After six days of planning, McAleese led an assault on the embassy with 30 other SAS soldiers. As the assault began, McAleese set off an explosive charge, blowing the front window and filling the building with smoke. In the ensuing gunfight, five of the six Iranians were killed along with one hostage
The mission was considered a massive success. Years later, after ending his career with the SAS, McAleese became famous for his appearances on the BBC series "SAS: Are You Tough Enough." Eventually, after a long and storied career, the veteran died following a heart attack on Aug. 26, 2011
Read More: https://www.svg.com/1039425/the-real-life-inspiration-behind-call-of-dutys-captain-price/
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u/r1Rqc1vPeF 9h ago
Was he the SAS soldier who discovered one of the Iranians pretending to be one of the hostages (I think the real hostages outed him)?
One of the SAS then tried to take the Iranian outside ‘to deal with him’. He was stopped when one of the SAS leaders realised that they were on camera.
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u/scarey99 8h ago
True story.
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u/r1Rqc1vPeF 7h ago
I vaguely remember watching a documentary about it years ago.
Also remember seeing the siege live on the news and whoever the reporter was talking about men in black pyjamas (or something like that) when they blew the doors/windows.
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u/IvoShandor 7h ago
In the movie 6 Days they picked him out of a group of hostages inside and executed him in the stairwell.
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u/HumaDracobane 10h ago
John McAleese was the leader of the Blue assault team, but not the commander of the entire operation.
That said, Fucking legend. RIP, and his son too.
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u/B479MSS 9h ago
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u/Salt-Wish5140 6h ago
Shame.
"If a man builds a thousand bridges and sucks one dick, they don't call him a bridge-builder... they call him a cocksucker." - Vince Boudreau
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6h ago
[deleted]
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u/Extension-Cucumber69 2h ago
Really weird thing to a) put down to PTSD and b) claim is normal for ex-servicemen
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u/Character_Minimum171 5h ago
why?
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5h ago
[deleted]
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u/Character_Minimum171 5h ago
but what makes them inherently wrong?
imho they are guided by strong principles and discipline
they are not normal, they are highly trained elite soldiers
doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with them
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u/The_Rank_1_Slork 9h ago
cod4 also had a cut mission inspired by this event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrjJ0o8U-h0
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u/guardwoman12345 58m ago
With his varied career, I honestly don't give a flying shit about the allegations against him.
See him as a the man not the ideal
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u/IANANarwhal 10h ago
Dude does not look like he speaks with a British accent.
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u/bobbobberson3 9h ago
I mean he does. He looks like lots of British people, very Scottish looking face. Maybe a look of Irish I'd say too which isn't British but I think you just have a very narrow view of what British people look like.
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u/ChiSandTwitch1 10h ago
That's... complicated.
He did; just a very specific part of Britain, that marginally doesn't currently want to be part of the version of Britain that exists at the moment.
If that makes sense?
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u/SlapBanWalla 10h ago
Just say Scottish mate, it is part of Britain after all.
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u/ChiSandTwitch1 9h ago
As I said to the other humourless fella on here, was just trying to attempt humour. Apologies for my lack of brevity
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u/SlapBanWalla 8h ago
Yeah mate, we’re the humourless ones ;)
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u/ChiSandTwitch1 7h ago
It's such a wonderfully subjective notion, don't you think? Sometimes so obvious, and others... it just flies over some people's heads
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u/magpie0494 10h ago
Stupid way of writing Scotland. So yeah British accent
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u/ChiSandTwitch1 9h ago
It was supposed to be humorous; my apologies for attempting levity.
I shall endeavour only to maintain the most dour of conversational tone in future, your honour.
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u/f33rf1y 11h ago
His son died in Afghanistan in 2009.
https://www.gov.uk/government/fatalities/serjeant-paul-mcaleese-and-private-johnathon-young-killed-in-afghanistan