Unveiling the overlooked narrative of a distinctive fifty-year companionship between two American legends: John Glenn, the unwavering pioneer of space exploration, and Ted Williams, indisputably the greatest hitter in baseball history.
In 1953, amid the throes of the Korean War, two accomplished individuals—John Glenn, an ambitious operations officer with a remarkable World War II record, and Ted Williams, the two-time American League Triple Crown winner inexplicably called back to active service in the Marine Corps—embarked on a perilous journey across Communist airspace aboard matching Panther jets. This daring mission forged an unbreakable bond. Over the next five decades, their contrasting lives weathered exhilarating triumphs and devastating setbacks, yet their connection endured.
Utilizing unpublished letters, unit diaries, declassified military records, manuscripts, and insightful interviews, “The Wingmen” offers an epic and personal portrayal of these larger-than-life heroes—individuals who achieved the extraordinary while remaining inherently human. Their friendship, conflicted at times, found common ground in mutual respect amid the challenges of war, sports supremacy, scientific breakthroughs, national politics, the weight of fame, and the essence of courage. Author Adam Lazarus delves into this forgotten chapter, shedding light on the lives of these legends as singular individuals, inspirational patriots, and, against all odds, profoundly close friends.