War is all we know.

For personal reference as I attempt to keep Fox's (complicated, contradictory, frequently retconned) history in order. This is my own interpretation of available canon information cross-referenced with real-life timelines and can not be assumed to be 100% accurate. All ages are an approximation. *Italics denote theory/speculation.
NOTE: Needs updating to account for new MGSV canon. Oh boy, that happened.

Content Warning: mentions (including links to external references) of child soldiers, war babies, racial discrimination, prison camps / labour camps, torture, mutilation, human experimentation, war crimes, and various references to real-life wars, conflicts, and political incidents.


• Born: mid-1950s (1956?)
-Fathered by a German-American soldier in the Vietnam War (began 1955).
-Father obviously was not around. Vietnamese mother raised him alone.
-Mother died during the early stages of the war when he was still a child.
-Sent to Vietnamese re-education camp due to his mixed heritage.
-Somehow got from here to Mozambique, as a child soldier. (How???)

The concept of re-education was borrowed from the Chinese communists and was developed early in the First Indochina War ... The process was continued in the North in 1954, but it came fully to the world's attention only after North Vietnam's takeover of the South in 1975. -reference

• Participated in the Mozambican War of Independence: 1964-1966
-War began September 25th 1964 (ceasefire September 8th 1974).
-Fought for FRELIMO.

• Met Big Boss: 1966
-Saved and left at a rehab centre by BB, who believed he would be safe there.
~10

• Taken from the rehab centre by the CIA to be used as a test subject for the "Perfect Soldier Project": 1966-1970
-Frank was the only test subject to survive.
-Received the codename "Null".

• Member of the FOX unit as Null in the San Hieronymo Takeover: 1970
-Began November 2nd.
-Saved by BB and left in America.
~14

• FOXHOUND founded by BB in 1971
-BB leaves to become a mercenary in 1972
-*Frank may have stayed behind to join FOXHOUND after BB left to form MSF. This would explain his absence from Peace Walker.
~15-16

*
The following is pure theory based on the alias used by Fox during the Shadow Moses Incident, and there is nothing in canon to either prove or disprove it. Following the assumption that Frank remained in America after BB left to form MSF, it may have taken place before or after Frank joined FOXHOUND. Felt's (real life) confession—three months after the Shadow Moses incident and seven years after the game was first released—is pure coincidence which just so happens to fit the timeline perfectly. Or maybe Kojima is god. Who knows?

• Participant in the Watergate Scandal as the informant "Deepthroat" 1972-1974
-In February 2005 (the same month and year as the Shadow Moses Incident in which Fox was involved as the Cyborg Ninja) it was revealed by Woodward, the man to whom Deepthroat was giving information during the Watergate Scandal and the only one who knew his true identity, that Deepthroat was ailing and close to death, and his obituary had already been written. (Note that Felt, the man who claimed to be Deepthroat, did not die until 2008.)
-W. Mark Felt claimed that he was Deepthroat on May 31st, 2005 (three months after Shadow Moses).
-Felt part of a Patriot cover-up?
~16-18
*

• Events of Peace Walker: 1974
-Frank is notably absent.

• Participated in Mozambican Civil War: 1977-197?
-War began 1977 and ended 1992.
-Fought for RENAMO.
-Captured by FRELIMO.
-Tortured, ears and nose cut off, saved by BB.
-*The CIA supported RENAMO, however the Department of State convinced the President and Congress to support FRELIMO— considering FOXHOUND's nature it is quite possible that they were commissioned by the CIA to aid RENAMO without government support (there was no official US military aid until the 1980s).
-*It is also possible that Frank had left FOXHOUND to join Big Boss in MSF by this point, and was participating as a mercenary.
~21

• Participated in Rhodesian Bush War: 197?-1979
-War ended in 1979 (began 1964). There was heavy FRELIMO involvement in the conflict.
-Presumably fought alongside Big Boss following events in Mozambique.
-Frank kills Naomi's parents and, unable to bring himself to kill her too, decides to adopt her.
-BB takes Frank and Naomi back to the US in 1980.
~23

• Met Gustava Heffner, a Czechoslovakian figure skater: 1988
-During Winter Olympics in Calgary (February 13th – February 28th).
-The two attempt to elope. (year??)
-American authorities reject her bid for asylum and she is sent back to her own country.
-Frank develops a great deal of resentment for the US government.
~32

• Awarded with the title of "Fox" by Big Boss: early 1990s
-Upon BB's return to FOXHOUND?

• Outer Heaven Uprising: 1995
-FOXHOUND commissioned by the US government to infiltrate Outer Heaven and destroy Metal Gear.
-Fox infiltrates OH and allows himself to be "captured".
-BB sends rookie Snake in to retrieve Fox, and bring back false information about Metal Gear, intending to delay further action by the US and buy time.
-Snake rescues Fox, destroys Metal Gear and defeats BB.
-Fox's involvement is not discovered, and he returns to FOXHOUND.
~39

• Deserts FOXHOUND to join Big Boss in the Mercenary War, fighting for Zanzibar Land's independence
-Zanzibar Land declares independence in 1997.
-Big Boss is elected as president of Zanzibar Land.
-Fox is assigned as commander of Zanzibar Land's mercenary force.

• Zanzibar Land Disturbance: 1999 (December 24th)
-Although they are on opposing sides, Fox aids Snake over the radio anonymously.
-After Snake manages to destroy Fox's Metal Gear D, the two fight hand-to-hand in a minefield.
-Fox is defeated and blown apart by a landmine, supposedly killed.
-Fox's remains are later recovered by a "clean-up" crew.
~43

• Used as a guinea pig for Dr. Clark's gene therapy experiments: 1999-2003
-His body is reconstructed and an experimental exoskeleton is grafted directly onto it to improve mobility.
-Naomi joins FOXHOUND as Dr. Clark's assistant in 2000.
-Naomi helps Fox escape in 2003 and covers up his actions when he kills Clark, reporting it as a laboratory accident, as well as faking Fox's death in the accident.

• Shadow Moses Incident: February 2005
-Infiltrates Shadow Moses in order to find Snake and have one last fight to the death.
-Aids Snake anonymously over the Codec, using the alias "Deepthroat".
-Fox aids Snake against Metal Gear REX, piloted by Liquid, and successfully destroys its radome before being killed himself.
~48