Ted Williams, the famous “Hall of Fame” baseball great was also an
accomplished fighter pilot in WW II and Korea. Ted missed out flying
combat missions during WW II, because his flying and gunnery skills
were so good that he was kept as an instructor for much of the War.
During advanced training at Pensacola, Florida Ted would accurately
shoot the sleeve targets to shreds while shooting out of wing-overs,
zooms, and barrel rolls. He broke the all time record for “hits” at
the school. Following Pensacola, Ted was sent to Jacksonville for
advanced gunnery training. This is the payoff test for potential
combat pilots. Ted set all the records for reflexes, coordination,
and visual reaction time. As a result of his stunning success he was
made an instructor at Bronson field to put Marine aviation cadets
through their final paces. By 1945 Ted got his wish and was finally
transferred to a combat wing, but weeks later the War was over. He
was discharged from the military in December of 1945. Seven years
later, in December of 1952, Ted was recalled to active duty as a
Marine Corps fighter pilot. The Boston Red Sox slugger who wore No.
9 as a major leaguer, would now be assigned to an F-9 Panther jet as
a pilot. Ted flew a total of 39 combat missions in Korea. He was
selected by his commander John Glenn (later the astronaut, senator,
and “septuagenonaut”) to fly as Glenn’s wingman. While flying an air
strike on a troop encampment near Kyomipo, William’s F-9 was hit by
hostile ground fire. Ted commented later… “the funny thing was I
didn’t feel anything… I knew I was hit when the stick started
shaking like mad in my hands. Then everything went out, my radio, my
landing gear, everything. The red warning lights were on all over
the plane.” The F-9 Panther had a centrifugal flow engine and
normally caught fire when hit. The tail would literally blow off
most stricken aircraft. The standard orders were to eject from any
Panther with a fire in the rear of the plane. Ted’s aircraft was
indeed on fire, and was trailing smoke and flames. Glen and the
other pilots on the mission were yelling over their radios for
William’s to get out. However, with his radio out Williams could not
hear their warnings, and he could not see the condition of the rear
of his aircraft. Glenn and another Panther flown by Larry Hawkins
came up alongside Williams and lead him to the nearest friendly
airfield. Fighting to hold the plane together, Ted brought his
Panther in at more than 200-MPH for a crash landing on the Marsden-matted
strip. With no landing gear, dive brakes, or functioning flaps the
flaming Panther jet skidded down the runway for more than 3000 feet.
Williams got out of the aircraft only moments before it was totally
engulfed in flames. Ted Williams survived his tour of duty in Korea
and returned to major league baseball. He is one of the greatest
hitters of all time.
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Collector Sized Lithograph:
$40
16" x 11 1/2"
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Giclee on Canvas:
$445
18'' x 27''
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