McCoy is the elderly scrounger who runs the PX shop at Area 88 and acts as the base’s primary source of supplies for the mercenary pilots. He deals exclusively in American dollars and provides everything from fighter planes and ammunition to civilian goods and everyday necessities. His stock is notoriously second‑hand and often unreliable, especially when offered at a discount, and he has admitted to scavenging usable parts from aircraft that have been shot down near the base. Despite his questionable merchandise, McCoy is an indispensable figure on the base because of his ability to procure almost anything for a price, including state‑of‑the‑art combat aircraft and even, in the latter part of the story, an enterprise‑class aircraft carrier. He also possesses extensive knowledge of weapons and is involved in the assembly, maintenance, and modification of the aircraft he sells. He maintains an account at a Swiss bank and conducts business with outside parties as well, though he states that his longest and most profitable dealings have been with Area 88.

McCoy’s personality is marked by a sharp, money‑driven shrewdness. He is an old man with a slightly bent posture, but his energy for business is enormous, and he operates on the belief that anything can be obtained with enough money. He is often a source of comic relief, yet his role as a merchant of death carries a darker undertone, and he refers to himself as something like the god of death upon withdrawing from the base. Beneath his mercenary exterior, he shows a genuine concern for the pilots who fight at the front. He is particularly attached to Shin Kazama, whom he treats almost like a favored grandson: he gives him free supplies on occasion, negotiates with him even when acquiring premium equipment, and is visibly distressed when Shin signs his own foreign legion registration papers. He also urges Mickey Simon to return to a normal life when Mickey proposes marriage to Sera. McCoy is one of the few characters who appears from the very first episode to the very end of the story, alongside Shin, Saki, and Mickey, making him a constant presence in the harsh environment of Area 88. His loyalty to the base and its members, coupled with his unshakeable business sense, defines his place in the narrative.