Pilot Down: The Rescue of Scott O’Grady Name ______
Writing Assignment: Write a five paragraph essay about someone in your life that you consider to be a hero. Read the following quotes from Scott O’Grady about heroes.
“On June 10, Scott O’Grady addressed the reporters at Aviano Air Base in Italy. ‘If it wasn’t for God’s love for me,’ he said, ‘and my love for God, I wouldn’t have gotten through it.’ But he also reserved special thanks for the ‘people at the pointy end of the spear’—the Marines who had risked their lives to save him. ‘If you want to find heroes,’ he said, ‘that’s where you should look.’”
“Pilot Down: The Rescue of Scott O’Grady,” Reader’s Digest, November 1995
“In our society, we label people as heroes and a lot of times we focus on the wrong groups. The sports stars and the rock stars and the movie stars are entertainers. They're not heroes. They don't help people. The everyday person, the fireman and the teacher and the policeman and doctor, are literally out there making a difference. They're the real heroes. They don't do it for glory or money. Those are the people our kids should be emulating, not the guy who plays baseball or football for millions of dollars.” “Breakfast with Scott O’Grady,” post-gazette.com, November 27, 2000
Part II. Scott O’Grady is reluctant to acknowledge himself as a hero, instead, he identifies the Marines who saved him as the true heroes, but then goes on to discuss society’s misconception of heroes and who he thinks true heroes are. Take a few moments and think about your own life and the heroes who are close to home. Obvious heroes can be parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters, coaches, and others who have touched your life in a special way. Complete the following organizer to help you identify the hero you will write about in your essay.