THE WINGMEN

A dual biography of two American heroes who bonded during wartime and remained friends for life.

John Glenn (1921-2016) and Ted Williams (1918-2002) led very different lives before they met during their military service in Korea. “Glenn was modest, measured, and above all loyal, loyal to his Pres­byterian faith, his nation, the Democratic Party, his children, and his wife of seventy-three years, Annie,” writes Lazarus. “Ted Williams was a cocky, moody, foulmouthed agnostic, an unwavering Republican who had three ex-wives, multiple mistresses, and three children whom he only saw when it was convenient.” Williams was one of the top stars of Major League Baseball despite having lost three seasons due to his service in World War II. Glenn joined the Navy as an aviator shortly after Pearl Harbor and flew numerous combat missions for the Marine Corps before finding a postwar career as a test pilot. By the time the Korean War broke out, both men were past the usual age for combat. Glenn cajoled—“sniveled,” in aviator slang—his way into a war-zone assignment. Williams, 33, thought he would be exempt from active service. He and Red Sox fans were surprised when the orders came, but after unsuccessful attempts to pull strings, he found himself in Korea. There, he and Glenn ended up in the same squadron, flying a number of missions together. Glenn was a risk taker who earned the nickname “Old Magnet Ass” for his tendency to attract enemy anti-aircraft fire. Williams was a good flyer who survived a number of dangerous incidents, including a no-wheels emergency landing. The two developed immense respect for each other that lasted the rest of their lives. Lazarus gives plenty of detail on their missions and on their daily lives on the air base as well as their separate careers after the war. In addition to biographical material on the two protagonists, the author offers an intriguing look at air combat during the Korean War.

A solid historical account of the intersecting careers of two very different American heroes.