William Hoyt Hathaway

What exactly is a hero? In today’s society, we find ourselves defining heroism based on extreme actions of courage or great sacrifice. In fact, the American Heritage Dictionary defines a hero as “a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.” Military officers, famous politicians, and prominent advocates for certain ideals such as Martin Luther King Jr. are often grouped into the “hero” category. While these men and women are nothing short of role models, it is my opinion that the American culture has lost sight of its real champions, the unsung heroes. These are the men and women who may not have ever dashed into a burning building, been to war, or led a political movement. However, their hard work, dedication, and belief in the American way of life helped to solidify the freedoms enjoyed by the American people today. My grandfather, William “Hoyt” Hathaway is my unsung hero. His personal sacrifice for his family and country create an example that I believe is nothing short of an American Hero.

William Hoyt Hathaway was a late member of the “Greatest Generation.” Born on April 29th, 1934 to a very strict, conservative German/English family, Hoyt learned the importance of hard work and national pride (Interview. Hathaway). His parents, Kent and Florence Hathaway engrained in Hoyt the importance of a good education and working to earn his way through life at an early life. His birth town of Gallion, Ohio was small and yielded families with strong spirits and tough work ethics, rather than material possessions. In order to have money in his pocket, Hoyt was strongly encouraged by his parents get a job at a gas station at age 16. In an interview with my grandmother, Hoyt’s widow Linda Hathaway, she explained, “I started dating Hoyt my freshman year of high school. He was very popular, but he missed many social events because he was always working or studying” (Hathaway). This work ethic carried Hoyt through high school and onto Ohio University on a full ROTC scholarship. Here he lettered in three sports, was the president of his fraternity, and maintained an excellent GPA studying to be an aerospace engineer (Interview. Hathaway).

My grandfather developed into what I would consider a perfect example of an unsung hero in the years following his college graduation. In my mind, someone who embodies an ideal American hero must fit four criteria. The first criterion involves personal sacrifice. In order to be a hero, one must be able to put his or her own ambitions or even best interests aside for the betterment of the society around them. My grandfather embodied this quality throughout his entire life. Upon graduating his ROTC program, Hoyt entered flight training as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He worked hard and flew many reconnaissance missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. At the same time, he and my grandmother were raising a family. During a routine mission, Hoyt witnessed his wingman, who was also his neighbor and best friend, die in a fatal plane crash (Interview. Ball). Though he longed to serve his country as a career pilot, my grandfather realized that in order to raise a strong family, he would have to put his dreams aside so he could be around to raise his children and support my grandmother. As a result, my grandfather got the chance to raise three successful children and seven grandchildren. The heroism is not only seen in his sacrifice to join the Air Force, but in the smaller sacrifice to ensure that his children would have a father.

The next criterion deals with a dedication to a certain cause. While extremely broad, this criterion can be applied to any aspect of life. It is synonymous with the phrases “finishing what you started,” and “giving it your all.” This is an important criterion when defining a hero because the ability to stay disciplined through adversity denotes a person of strong character, especially if the person’s cause will eventually benefit many people. Following my grandfather’s service in the military, he joined the CIA to work on a top secret satellite program, developing technology that would precede the creation of counter-terrorist surveillance systems. For 25 years, my grandfather worked in top secret on satellite prototypes. At one point, he was the top man in his line of work in the country (Interview. Hathaway). In that quarter decade, he received little or no recognition for the work that he completed. His neighbors, family, and the general public had absolutely no idea about all the hours that he spent working behind closed doors. He dedicated this part of his life to working to increase the protection of the general public of the United States. This dedication without reward or recognition is an admirable quality of any American hero. His achievements went unsung to the majority of U.S. citizens, but his work and dedication to the cause of national security would set the base for modern security systems.

The third criterion that denotes an American hero is the most important of all qualities. It serves as the bind that ties all the other attributes together. The one thing that all American heroes, recognized or unsung, have in common is an undying love for the United States and the American way of life. Everything that my grandfather stood for was the promotion and improvement of American values and morals. This was reflected in his over 30 years of service to the American government, the strict promotion of patriotism to his children, and his undying support of the American democratic political system. Hoyt loved the United States. He loved the concept of freedom at a price, and encouraged all those around him to provide whatever service they could to the betterment of the country (Interview. Hathaway). In my eyes, it was this enduring love for his country that solidified my grandfather as a perfect embodiment of an unsung American Hero.

“Only God’s eyes will ever know the marvelous work that Hoyt did for the American people, and he would have it no other way” (Interview. Ball). A man named Mr. Makowski shared these words with my grandmother following my grandfather’s funeral. I was still a young boy when he passed, and these words had little meaning to me. Reflecting back as a man, I have a completely different understanding of such a simply grouping of words. The quote was referring to my grandfather’s work while at the CIA, and how its nature was known by very few. It also reflected on how important and revolutionary the work was, yet my grandfather would never accept praise or adoration for his efforts. This final attribute reflects the importance of modesty and humbleness. Towards the end of his career, Hoyt was a well-known and respected man in his career field. He received numerous CIA achievement awards, and Individual Achievements in Excellence Awards at his last position as East Coast Manager of Lockeed-Martin. However, my grandfather would be the first to downplay the significance of these awards. If he had it his way, Hoyt would have gone through life with absolutely no one knowing the nature of his work, needing only the satisfaction that he was doing something to help the American way of life to keep going. There is a fine point where hard work and dedication meet modesty, and Hoyt lived at that point throughout his career. “Your grandfather was a stubborn man. If he saw someone doing something he thought was wrong, he would speak up. If he saw something that he didn’t think he was right, he would fix it. But he never cared for praise or awards. He simply felt a duty to do his work” (Interview. Hathaway).

When someone asks who my hero is, the answer is simple. I have a role model that was dedicated to his family and his career. A man who knew the value and importance of self-sacrifice, a man who loved and concentrated his efforts on the betterment of America, and despite success in all of the above, remained modest and humble. William Hoyt Hathaway was a great man and outstanding citizen. He is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery and in the company of other men and women who shared his love for country. Though his merits will never be nationally recognized, my grandfather’s achievement will echo in the generations of the future. He is a true role-model, and even in death, he embodies the spirit of the long-lost unsung American hero.