Historica Wiki
Advertisement


Lawrence Robert Sims (born 4 February 1942) was an American agent working for the CIA in the Special Activities Division. He formerly served in the US Army before transferring to the CIA, serving in Special Officer Russell Adler's MACV-SOG team in Operation Fracture Jaw. Sims later served in Adler's team in 1981 during the Perseus crisis, and later fought in the Verdansk proxy war.

Biography[]

Early life and military service[]

Lawrence Sims was born on 4 February 1942, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to a military family. He developed a sarcastic personality after the death of his father in the Korean War, as well as devoting himself to the study of technology. He received a scholarship and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology, enlisting in the US Army and serving for two years.

CIA service[]

The CIA recruited Sims after his tour ended, becoming known for his intelligence and problem-solving skills. His first major assignment was in MACV-SOG under Special Officer Russell Adler. In early January 1968, Sims left Da Nang Air Base with Airman Darren Kopp of the US Air Force for a reconnaissance mission. Their helicopter was forced to land fifteen miles from the base after experiencing technical difficulties. They were then attacked by Viet Cong after radioing for assistance, resulting in their fleeing into the jungle and Kopp's death. Sims used Kopp's knife to kill three VC after running out of ammo and before reinforcements arrived.

Fracture Jaw[]

On 26 January 1968, Sims was a participant in Operation Fracture Jaw, helping to find intel that hinted towards the existence of legendary KGB agent Perseus. Shortly afterward, he defended Firebase Ripcord alongside Adler and other MACV-SOG operatives until they were able to extract the nuclear device from the base.

Aftermath[]

After the end of the Vietnam War, Sims found himself in many of Adler's teams in the Special Activities Division, working to destabilize the Soviet Union and stop any plans they had against NATO. He also worked alongside Mossad agent Lazar Azoulay in an operation in Vienna, Austria, becoming friends with him. Sims attempted to go after Mafiya boss Anton Volkov as he attended a meeting in Italy, though Volkov gave him the slip. The many contacts he formed since Vietnam allowed him to procure nearly anything for the right price.

Perseus crisis[]

In early February 1981, Sims was invited to Adler's team to hunt down Perseus alongside brainwashed Perseus asset Bell, legendary agents Frank Woods and Alex Mason, Azoulay, and MI6 agent Helen Park. They gathered at CIA Safehouse E9 in West Berlin, attending Adler's briefing on Perseus' activities on 23 February. He oversaw Azoulay's boxing training on the heavy bag shortly thereafter.

The next day, after Bell analyzed a Perseus codebook and discovered Anton Volkov's relations with Perseus, Sims attended another meeting at the safehouse where Adler organized an operation to go after Volkov in East Berlin. Sims had a conversation with Bell, concerning Vietnam, Sims' procurement, and the mystery behind Bell.

On 7 March, Sims attended a briefing regarding the infiltration of the Lubyanka. He then went to repair a car, conversing with Azoulay and Bell as he did.

Advertisement