George Lucas

The word “hero” has several meanings to me. First, it makes me think of someone who has fought in a war. If they died in that war or served dutifully during it, I would consider them a hero. Another meaning is one who has accomplished something great while they started out humbly and unknown. For instance, it could be one who was born on a farm in the middle of nowhere and rose to the position of a doctor and helped find a cure for a disease. Another person I would consider a hero would be a person that made a movie or book or held a special event to raise money for a charity that would be benefit children and others. These are my definitions of a hero and there are many in the world that fit this description.

George Lucas on set with Jango Fett (http://www.dtheatre.com/read.php?sid=3134)

At first, I thought that this was a loaded prompt. I mean who wouldn't feel terrible if they didn't pick their parents? Well, my hero took me a while to come up with. Before finally choosing my hero, I thought of my parents, my grandfather, and lots of family members, before I eventually thought of a person (not my parents by the way.) He lives in a galaxy far, far away: George Lucas. Yup, he is my hero for many reasons.

George Lucas at the 66th film festival in Venice (Wikipedia)

George Walton Lucas Junior was born on May 14, 1944, in Modesto, California. He was the son of Dorothy Lucas and George Lucas Sr. who owned a stationery store. At first in high school, Lucas showed an interest in racecar driving. He was going to be a professional racecar driver until an unfortunate crash a few days before his graduation. He was hospitalized and recovered shortly but entirely forgot his dream.

Lucas then attended Modesto Junior College and took liberal art classes there. He soon began to like cinematography and camera effects. He graduated from Brookdale Community College in New Jersey. He then went to the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts. He befriended students there, and they became known as "The Dirty Dozen," which was a war movie made in 1967. While in this group, they made a few films including THX 1138, American Graffiti, and several others.

George Lucas on the Hoth set with Harrison Ford (http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/galleries/star_wars_then__now/star_wars_then__now.html)

After graduating from the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts, with a bachelor’s degree, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was rejected, though, for his many speeding tickets. Later, he was drafted by the Army for service in Vietnam. While taking a medical test that would say whether or not he was healthy for the army, he tested positive for diabetes. This disqualified him for combat so he was sent home.

He soon re-enrolled into the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts. He received a student scholarship to observe and work on a film of his choosing. He picked Finian's Rainbow which was being directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In 1977 he wrote and directed Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which made seven-hundred and seventy-five million dollars. In 1980, he wrote Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, which made five-hundred and thirty-eight million dollars. In 1983, he wrote Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, which made four-hundred and seventy-five million dollars.

George Lucas is my hero for many reasons. One is that he wrote the Star Wars movies (which are some of my favorite movies) and he also made the Indiana Jones movies which are also some of my favorites. He also founded the George Lucas Educational Foundation which encouraged creative thought in schools. In 2005, George gave one-million dollars to build the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial at the National Mall located in Washington D.C. In 2006, he donated one-hundred and sixty-five million dollars to the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts. For these many reasons, he is my hero and always will be.