Alexey Maresyev

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maresiev.jpg)

My hero is Alexey Maresyev because he was a courageous person who did a lot of good things in his life. I think he was a real hero of our time, a real patriot, an outstanding pilot and the defender of our Motherland. His deeds are a model of true heroism, bravery and fidelity. His courage has made a very big impression on me.

He was born in Kamishin, in Russia on May 20, 1916. Before joining the army, Alexey worked as a turner. During the Great Patriotic War (World War II) he became a pilot. He began flights in August, 1941 and shot down four German aircrafts.

Once during a regular battle flight in winter 1942 Alexey Maresyev’s plane was shot down in the forest. He managed to jump out of the plane with a parachute but he landed unsuccessfully and injured his feet badly. He lost consciousness for a while. When he recovered he saw a bear right in front of him breathing into his face. Maresyev had to fight with the bear to save his life and won. But that was only the beginning of his great battle for life. He was deep in the forest very far from his men. So he had to walk a long distance without food and water on his injured feet. He made the first step and felt an acute pain penetrate all his body. But he had to go and carried on in spite of the unbearable pain. To dull the pain he began to consider every step and consider the way. To reduce the way he planned every reference point: a pine, an aspen, a birch. On his way he made a fire and ate the bark of the trees not to die of hunger and cold. Finally, despite being badly injured, exhausted to death, Alexey managed to return to his men. During his 18-day trek in the winter forest, his injuries became so bad, that both of his legs had to be amputated. That made it impossible for him to fly any more.

(http://images.yandex.ru/search?p=1&ed=1&text=%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B9%20%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2&spsite=fake-037-469863.ru&img_url=www.zateevo.ru%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2FRossiane%2FMaresiev%2Fmar1.jpg&rpt=simage)

Yet, he wanted to return to the army. Alexey subjected himself to a year of exercise and returned to flying in June, 1943. In August he shot down three German aircrafts. In total, he completed 86 combat flights and shot down eleven German warplanes.

He lived a long life and died of a heart attack in May 19, 2001. His story became the basis for the novel by Boris Polevoy “The Story of a Real Man”. The novel was the basis for the opera by Sergey Prokofiev “The story of a Real Man”.