Alexei Petrovich Maresiev
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Alexei Petrovich Maresiev (Russian: Алексе́й Петро́вич Маре́сьев; May 20, 1916 – May 19, 2001) was a famous Russian fighter ace during the Great Patriotic War.
He was born May 20, 1916 in Kamyshin. Before joining the army in 1937, Maresiev worked as a turner and then participated in the construction of Komsomolsk-na-Amure. In 1940, he graduated from Bataysk Military School of Aviation. He began his flights as a fighter pilot in August 1941. He had shot down 4 Nazi planes by March 1942, when his own fighter was downed near Staraya Russa, then occupied by Germans.
Despite being heavily injured, Alexei managed to return to the Soviet-controlled territory on his own. During his 18-day long journey, his injuries deteriorated so badly that both of his legs had to be amputated below the knee. Desperate to return to his fighter pilot career, he subjected himself to near a year of exercise to master the control of his prosthetic devices, and succeeded at that, returning to flying in June 1943.
During a dog fight in August 1943 he downed 3 Nazi FW-190 fighters. In total, he completed 86 combat flights and shot down 11 Nazi warplanes. He was awarded a Golden Star of Hero of the Soviet Union (August 24, 1943), the highest military decoration in USSR. In 1944, Maresiev joined the CPSU and two years later retired from the army.
In 1952, Maresiev graduated from the Higher Party School. In 1956, Maresiev obtained a Ph.D. in History, and started working in the Soviet War Veterans Committee. Eventually he became a member of Supreme Soviet. Maresiev was awarded Order of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Order of the Red Star and numerous medals.
He died of heart attack May 19th, 2001, just an hour ahead of his official 85th birthday celebration.
His story became the basis for novel by Boris Polevoy, Story of a Real Man.
