Leroy Jethro Gibbs, portrayed by Mark Harmon, is a fictional character who has been quite popular on NCIS television series, created by CBS Television. Through the entire television series, you’d not come to know about Gibbs real age, however, in one of the episodes, titled, “Heartland,” it is shown that Leroy Gibbs is born and brought up in the rural area of Stillwater, Pennsylvania.
Ralph Waite plays the role of Leroy Gibbs father, Jackson Gibbs. In the episode of “Frame Up” we are told that Jackson Gibbs served the United States Army Air Force through Gibbs’ reference to a note seen on P-51 Mustang of his father. In addition, Gibbs receives his name initials from father’s friend, Leroy Jethro.
Leroy Jethro and Jackson Gibbs have opened “Stillwater General Store” in Stillwater in joint partnership. Gibbs junior left Stillwater in 1976 at tender age of around 18 years, and in one of the allusions Gibbs himself revealed that it has been almost 30 years that he has not visited Stillwater. It is also shown in the flashback that Jethro often becomes violent when his father comes to his uncalled rescue with Winchester rifle or shotgun.
Gibbs is a former Marine Scout Sniper, and now he has become an organized and disciplined detective. His attributes make him stand out at remarkable position from his team, and in the JAG episode, “Ice Queen”, he’s serving in the capacity of Marine reservist. Still further in “Blowback”, Gibbs mentions in the pass that he belongs to the zodiac sign, Virgo. Later in the episode named in “Under Covers”, Abby Sciuto says him “happy birthday” on November 10, which alludes to the birthday of Marine Corps.
Gibbs married four times in a row. He has divorced thrice. His first marriage is kept a secret affair from his near and dear ones, and is only explored at the end of an episode, episode “Hiatus (Part 1)”. Back in the episode 1, titled, “Heartland”, Gibbs met his first wife Shannon, while waiting for the train to arrive at the Stillwater Train Platform in the year 1976. During this brief encounter, Shannon tells Gibbs the rules she follow in her life.
In the end of episode titled, “Honour Code”, it is shown that Shannon, along with their eight-year-old daughter Kelly, are murdered by Mexican drug dealer. They are murdered on the last working day of the operation Desert Storm (February 28, 1991. Gibbs as an active member of Marine Corps is the part of operation Desert Storm, and is still overseas, when Shannon and her daughter are killed.
Later when Gibbs returns home, he takes the revenge of Shannon and her daughter by brutally killing the drug dealer to death. The episodes show Gibbs as the suspect and investigations are carried out against him on the account of drug dealer’s murder. However, the allegations are not proved, and therefore he ends up roaming scot free.
Each of Gibbs wives were redhead. Diane, one of the Gibbs wives, later tied a nuptial pad with Gibbs’ friend and FBI Senior Special Agent Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano). Stephanie Flynn (Kathleen York) was another wife of Gibbs who stayed with him for around a year, while he served in Moscow, Russia.