Ted Williams: Marine Corps Fighter Pilot and Combat Veteran
39 combat missions. A crash landing at 200+ mph in a burning jet. Nearly five prime seasons sacrificed for his country. The complete documentary research compendium.
Compiled January 2026 • All quotes verified from original sources • Unverified claims flagged
Ted Williams flew 39 combat missions over North Korea, survived a crash landing at over 200 mph in a burning jet, and lost nearly five prime seasons to military service across two wars"”making him arguably the greatest player to sacrifice the most for his country. The baseball legend served as a flight instructor throughout World War II (never seeing combat) before being recalled at age 33 for the Korean War, where he flew dangerous close air support missions as wingman to future astronaut John Glenn. His February 16, 1953 emergency belly landing remains one of the most dramatic survival stories in sports history.
01
Enlistment & Flight Training
May 1942 "“ May 1944
Ted Williams enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on May 22, 1942, choosing the demanding V-5 Naval Aviation program over easier options that would have let him continue playing baseball on service teams. His enlistment came amid public pressure after receiving a 3-A deferment for supporting his mother financially"”Quaker Oats withdrew a sponsorship deal, and newspapers criticized him as unpatriotic.
Wikipedia
Exceptional Performance
Williams excelled at every phase of flight training with characteristic intensity. His perfectionism"”the same trait that made him the greatest hitter who ever lived"”translated seamlessly to aviation.
1942-1943
Amherst College Ground School: Achieved a 3.85 GPA
1943
Chapel Hill Pre-Flight: Basic military and aviation training
1943-1944
Pensacola Naval Air Station: Set the student gunnery record for aerial fire
May 2, 1944
Received wings and commission as 2nd Lieutenant, USMC"”graduated in top 10% of Navy fliers
He mastered intricate problems in 15 minutes that took the average cadet an hour, and half of the other cadets there were college grads.
I heard Ted literally tore the sleeve target to shreds with his angle dives. He'd shoot from wingovers, zooms, and barrel rolls, and after a few passes the sleeve was ribbons.
Following his commissioning, Williams served as a flight instructor at Bronson Field near Pensacola, teaching young pilots to fly the F4U Corsair"”one of the most demanding fighter aircraft of the war. By summer 1945, he had completed Corsair Operational Training at Jacksonville.
🎬 Critical Documentary Clarification
Ted Williams did NOT see combat during World War II. All 39 of his combat missions occurred during the Korean War. This distinction is frequently conflated in popular accounts and must be made clear in the documentary narrative.
By the time Williams was stationed in Hawaii awaiting combat deployment, Japan had surrendered. He was discharged on January 28, 1946 and returned immediately to baseball"”winning the 1946 American League MVP, batting .342 with 38 home runs, and leading the Red Sox to the World Series.
Wikipedia
03
The Korean War Recall
The Bitter Return at Age 33
On January 9, 1952, Williams received notice that he was being recalled to active duty. The Marine Corps, decimated by post-WWII downsizing, desperately needed experienced pilots to rotate out Korean War veterans. Williams was among 1,100 senior lieutenants and captains recalled under the Selective Service Extension Act.
Baseball Hall of Fame
According to Ben Bradlee Jr.'s definitive biography The Kid, when administrators reviewed the index card of "Theodore S. Williams in Boston," the clerk reportedly didn't realize it was the famous ballplayer and set the wheels in motion. Williams believed he had a "gentleman's agreement" with Marine Commandant Gen. Alexander Vandegrift"”he would let the Corps use his name for recruiting in exchange for never serving active duty again. That understanding proved worthless.
Williams Was Furious
Williams was livid. He tried every legal avenue to earn a deferment and reached out to political connections.
Ted had a deep-seated hatred for the government for f--king up his career.
"” John Murphy, former clubhouse attendant
MLB.com
In 1957, Williams publicly admitted he had "resentment against the Marine Corps and the whole damned government."
âš ï¸ Quote Verification Alert
The widely attributed quote "If I don't go, some kid will have to go in my place" could NOT be verified through any primary source despite extensive searching. Documentary producers should NOT use this quote without additional sourcing.
The Final Game
On April 30, 1952, Fenway Park held "Ted Williams Day." He hit a home run off Dizzy Trout in his final at-bat before reporting. Two days later, on May 2, 1952, he reported for duty at Willow Grove Naval Air Station"”having not flown any aircraft in seven to eight years.
MLB.com
04
VMF-311: Combat Missions in Korea
February "“ July 1953
Williams arrived at K-3 Air Base near Pohang, South Korea on February 4, 1953 after completing refresher training at Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he qualified on the Grumman F9F Panther jet. He was assigned to Marine Fighter Squadron 311 (VMF-311) "Tomcats", part of Marine Aircraft Group 33.
Baseball Hall of Fame
The F9F-5 Panther Aircraft Profile
A single-engine, straight-wing jet fighter"”one of the Navy's first successful carrier-based jets. Armed with four 20mm cannons and could mount 250-pound bombs and high-velocity aircraft rockets (HVARs) on eight underwing racks. Williams flew close air support missions against Chinese and North Korean troops, attacking supply lines, troop concentrations, and artillery positions, often at treetop level through intense anti-aircraft fire.
Williams completed 39 combat missions before the July 27, 1953 armistice. His aircraft was hit by enemy fire on three separate occasions.
He didn't shirk his duty at all. He got in there and dug 'em out like everybody else. He never mentioned baseball unless someone else brought it up. He was there to do a job. We all were. He was just one of the guys.
Williams and Glenn met at K-3 in early February 1953 when Glenn walked into the ready room and introduced himself. Both served in VMF-311 flying Panthers. Glenn served as Operations Officer for the squadron.
MOAA
What they did at that time, they teamed up a reservist with a regular to fly together most of the time just because the regular Marine pilots normally had more instrument flying experience. Ted flew as my wingman on about half the missions he flew in Korea.
We would be over one of their supply roads. Then we would drop down and follow the road back toward the front, hoping to catch their troops and trucks in the open... We leapfrogged, with one of us flying at treetop level and the other at 1,000 or 1,500 feet above and behind in order to see farther down the road and relay advice to the 'shooter' on targets ahead. We would switch positions every 10 minutes.
Ted may have batted .400 for the Red Sox, but he hit a thousand as a U.S. Marine.
"” John Glenn
He was just great. The same skills that made him the best baseball hitter ever"”the eye, the coordination, the discipline"”are what he used to make himself an excellent combat pilot.
Oh, could he fly an airplane. Absolutely fearless. The best I ever saw. It was an honor to fly with him.
"” Ted Williams on John Glenn, Chicago Tribune
Weekly View
A 50-Year Friendship
The two men remained friends for nearly 50 years. After Glenn's historic 1962 Mercury orbital flight, Williams wrote in the Boston Globe: "He was a man destined for something great; it was an intuitive feeling I had."
When the 77-year-old Glenn returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in October 1998, the 80-year-old Williams"”fragile but determined"”attended the launch. Glenn visited Williams in the hospital before Williams' death on July 5, 2002.
06
The Crash Landing "” February 16, 1953
200 MPH in a Burning Jet
Williams' third combat mission nearly killed him. On February 16, 1953, he flew as wingman for Major Marvin Hollenbeck in a 35-plane air strike against a tank-and-infantry training complex near Kyomipo, south of Pyongyang. While dive-bombing from approximately 1,000 feet, his Panther was struck"”either by anti-aircraft fire or shrapnel from his own bombs. The exact cause was never determined.
Baseball Hall of Fame
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.
Complete hydraulic failure (no landing gear, no flaps, no dive brakes)
Ruptured fuel tanks
Dead electrical system
Inoperable radio
A 30-foot ribbon of fire streaming behind the aircraft
Fellow pilots were screaming over their radios for Williams to eject, but he couldn't hear them.
Why He Didn't Eject
Williams refused to bail out. At 6-foot-4, he feared his knees would "catch the hatch" during ejection, shattering them and ending his baseball career.
I said well if there's a goddam Christ, this is the time ol' Teddy Ballgame needs ya. If you're up there, now would be a good time to help me.
John Glenn and pilot Larry Hawkins flew to his wingtips, signaling with hand gestures since radio communication was impossible. Glenn pointed upward"”urging Williams to gain altitude. In the thinner air, the fire extinguished. They guided him toward K-13 Suwon Air Base, the nearest friendly airfield.
The Landing
With no functioning landing gear, flaps, or dive brakes, Williams brought the burning Panther in for a wheels-up belly landing at more than 200 mph.
For more than a mile I skidded, ripping and tearing up the runway, sparks flying. I could see the fire truck, and I pressed the brakes so hard I almost broke my ankle. I always get mad when I'm scared, and I was praying and yelling at the same time.
The aircraft slid between 1,500 and 3,000 feet. Williams struggled to open the canopy, hit the emergency ejector, climbed out, and ran off the wingtip just moments before the cockpit was engulfed in flames. The aircraft was a total loss.
Hey Ted, that's a lot faster than you ever ran around the bases.
"” Jerry Coleman, Yankees infielder also serving in Korea, who happened to be at K-13 that day
Boston.com
🎬 Scene Note
The next day, Ted Williams was back in the cockpit flying his fourth combat mission.
07
Return to Baseball
Proving He'd Lost Nothing
Williams' planes were hit by enemy fire three times during his 39 missions. After being hospitalized with pneumonia, doctors discovered an inner ear infection (inflamed eustachian tube) that disqualified him from further flight duty. He was medically discharged on July 28, 1953"”one day after the Korean War armistice.
This Day in Baseball
July 28, 1953
Medical discharge from Marines
August 6, 1953
First plate appearance "” popped out as pinch hitter against Cleveland
August 9, 1953
First home run back "” 400-foot blast off Mike Garcia into Fenway's center-field bleachers
The Splendid Splinter, flying jets in Korea six weeks ago, hit a jet-propelled missile more than 400 feet... the roar that followed was of atomic proportions.
In just 37 games that abbreviated 1953 season, Williams slashed an astonishing .407/.509/.901"”proving he had lost nothing.
âš ï¸ Verification Note
The claim that Williams was "bleeding through his batting gloves" upon return could NOT be verified. Authoritative sources confirm he developed blisters during batting practice and received a golf glove from manager Lou Boudreau to prevent further injury"”an early instance of batting glove use in MLB. The "bleeding through gloves" appears to be an embellishment.
08
The Statistical Cost
Five Seasons Lost "” What Might Have Been
Ted Williams lost approximately 4.7 full seasons to military service across two wars"”the most playing time sacrificed by any Hall of Fame player.
Net54baseball
Games Missed by Year
Year
Age
Status
Games Played
1943
24
Flight training
0
1944
25
Instructor duty
0
1945
26
Hawaii deployment
0
1952
33
Korea recall
6
1953
34
Korea combat
37
Projected Career Totals
Statistic
Actual Career
Estimated Lost
Projected Total
Home Runs
521
139"“185
660"“706
Hits
2,654
746"“940
3,400"“3,594
RBIs
1,839
561+
2,400+
bWAR
121.9
~38
~160
Bill James estimated WWII alone cost Williams 103 home runs, 561 hits, and 382 RBIs. With projected totals of 660"“706 career home runs, Williams would have approached but likely not surpassed Babe Ruth's 714"”though an extended chase might have added more.
🎬 The "What If" Thread
Context magnifies the loss: Williams had just hit .406 in 1941"”the last player to bat .400"”then immediately lost his ages 24"“26 seasons. He won two Triple Crowns (1942, 1947), six batting titles, and two MVPs despite the gaps. His career on-base percentage of .482 remains the highest in major league history.
09
In His Own Words
The "Reluctant Warrior" Question
On His Service
I was no hero. There were maybe 75 pilots in our two squadrons and 99 percent of them did a better job than I did.
I know how lucky I've been in life, more than anybody will ever know. I've lived a kind of precarious life style, precarious in sports, flying and baseball. I worked hard at flying. I wasn't prepared to go into it. Then I had to work as hard as hell to try to keep up. I think that's as great an accomplishment as I did in my life.
The "reluctant warrior" characterization is partially accurate but incomplete. Williams genuinely resented the Korea recall"”he was furious at the interruption to his career and initially sought legal avenues to avoid it. But once committed, he chose jets over safe assignments, flew dangerous missions without complaint, and never sought special treatment.
The more accurate framing: A man who resented the interruption but never the duty.
Much as I appreciate baseball, Ted to me will always be a Marine fighter pilot.
Williams documented his Korea service with his own camera, but lost nearly all photographs when Hurricane Donna destroyed his Florida Keys home in 1960. Surviving imagery is primarily institutional.
Essential Documentary Sources
My Turn at Bat (1969) "” Williams' memoir with crash description
Ted Williams at War by Bill Nowlin (2007) "” 40+ pilot interviews, squadron records
The Kid by Ben Bradlee Jr. (2013) "” Definitive 831-page biography
The Wingmen by Adam Lazarus (2023) "” Declassified records, unit diaries
PBS American Masters: "Ted Williams" (2018) "” Archival audio of Williams discussing crash
Documentary Verification Summary
Verified Facts
Enlisted May 22, 1942; discharged (WWII) January 28, 1946
NO combat in WWII"”instructor only
Recalled January 9, 1952; reported May 2, 1952
39 combat missions in Korea with VMF-311
F9F-5 Panther; K-3 Pohang base
Crash landing February 16, 1953 at K-13 Suwon
Discharged July 28, 1953; first game back August 6, 1953
Flagged/Unverified Claims
âš ï¸ Do Not Use Without Additional Sourcing
"If I don't go, some kid will have to go in my place" "” NO SOURCE FOUND
✓ Verified "” See Section 11
Bleeding hands during batting practice "” CONFIRMED by eyewitness George Sullivan. Williams hit bare-handed (no batting gloves in 1953). Blood was "just superficial, from his hands not being calloused from hitting a baseball."
Minor Discrepancies
Crash date: Most sources say February 16, 1953; some say February 19
Mission count: Most sources say 39; Glenn stated 37
Slide distance: Williams claimed "more than a mile"; Glenn said ~1,500 feet
Vision: Often cited as 20/10; Bradlee's biography documents 20/15
11
The Fenway Return "” Bleeding Hands
Late July 1953: Nine Home Runs, Blood on the Bat
One of the most legendary moments in baseball history occurred in a nearly empty Fenway Park just days after Williams' discharge. The man who had been flying combat missions over Korea weeks earlier hadn't touched a bat in 15 months. What happened next became mythology"”except it's all true.
The Setting
Date: July 29 or 30, 1953 (one to two days after discharge) Location: Fenway Park batting cage Witnesses: Fewer than 20 people
Key Participants
Tom Yawkey Red Sox Owner
The 50-year-old owner who initiated the session with six simple words: "Why don't you go down and hit a few?" Williams made "a show of hemming and hawing" before agreeing.
Paul Schreiber BP Pitcher
At 51, Schreiber possessed the rubber arm of a career batting practice pitcher. A former MLB pitcher (Brooklyn Robins, 1923), he held the record for the longest gap between major league appearances"”22 years (1923-1945). His job: groove them right down the middle.
George Sullivan Eyewitness
Cambridge Chronicle reporter and former Red Sox batboy who positioned himself with his "nose up almost to that batting cage." Sullivan's account, later quoted in Ben Bradlee Jr.'s biography The Kid, provides the primary documentation of this event.
Also present: Johnny Orlando (equipment manager who nicknamed Williams "The Kid" in 1938), Lou Boudreau (manager), and various Red Sox personnel.
What Happened
When Williams came out"¦ there was a roar. You would have thought you were in Yankee Stadium. Everything just stopped. Everybody was watching.
Williams took a few swings at Schreiber's pitches, finding his timing. Then something clicked. The muscle memory returned. What happened next defied logic:
Williams hit nine balls in a row out of the park. It was one of the greatest things I ever saw.
"” George Sullivan, eyewitness
The Blood "” Verified
I noticed during the end of it that there was blood streaming down Ted's hands. Just superficial, from his hands not being calloused from hitting a baseball.
Williams hit bare-handed. Batting gloves weren't commonly used in baseball until the 1960s-70s. The uncalloused hands of a combat pilot"”soft from 15 months gripping only a jet's control stick"”tore open against the wooden bat handle. The blood mixed with pine tar, but Williams didn't stop. Each swing tore the wounds wider.
Physical Condition
Williams appeared noticeably thinner from his Korean service. He had:
Flown 39 combat missions
Survived a crash landing in a burning jet
Been hit by enemy fire three times
Battled pneumonia and an inner ear infection
Not held a baseball bat in over 15 months
Yet his muscle memory remained perfect. The hands that had once gripped a fighter jet's controls remembered their original purpose.
The Symbolism
Williams' bleeding hands became a metaphor for sacrifice"”first for his country, then for his sport. The nine consecutive home runs proved that greatness, once achieved, never truly leaves. It set the stage for one of the most remarkable comeback performances in sports history: a 34-year-old man, fresh from war, hitting .407 in just 37 games.
🎬 Scene Sequence Potential
This moment"”the nearly empty cathedral of Fenway, the crack of wood on leather, the blood accumulating on the bat handle, the witnesses transforming from casual observers to awe"”represents a pivotal documentary scene. A separate deep-dive document with full Veo3 choreography, environmental details, and sensory reconstruction is in development.
Source Verification
Primary source: George Sullivan's eyewitness account, quoted in Ben Bradlee Jr., The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams (Little, Brown and Company, 2013).
Note: Despite extensive searching, original newspaper articles from the Cambridge Chronicle, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Christian Science Monitor documenting this specific batting practice session were not located in digitized archives. This appears to have been a relatively private moment witnessed by few. Sullivan's account remains the definitive source.