Ted Williams

There are lots of heroic people in this world, but my hero is Ted Williams. He was a fighter jet pilot in World War II. He is a great hero. He had bravery, the will to achieve, and dedication. He was also very hardworking. Ted Williams was a professional baseball player but he also fought for our country, which makes him a hero to me.

Ted was born August 30, 1918 in San Diego California. His father was a sheriff and his mother was a Salvation Army employee. He had always been an outstanding baseball player and in 1939 he joined the Boston Red Sox. Over the first part of his baseball career he had two MVP awards, two triple crowns, six batting titles and four home run titles.

In 1942 he left baseball for 5 years to fight in the army. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He learned to become a fighter pilot and taught others to do the same. After the Korean conflict erupted, he re-enlisted at the age of 34. He spent the next two years on combat duty. On February 16, 1953, he had to crash-land his K-13 fighter after a mission. He survived, and was awarded the Air Medal by President Harry Truman.

Ted returned to baseball at the end of the 1953 season. He played for 7 more years and won 2 more batting titles. Over his life he was also an expert fly fishermen. In 2000 he was named to the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame. Ted Williams died July 5th, 2002.

Ted Williams is my hero because fought for our country and played in the MLB. He worked hard at everything he did.