Character Description

Adam Pelko

This is a 2 paragraph character description piece about the main character in the book Heroes Don’t Run.

In the story, Heroes Don’t Run by Harry Mazer, the main characters name is Adam Pelko although in the book he is mainly called Pelko because, he is a Marine. I would describe him as brave because he signs up to fight in WWII. In this war, the main enemy is the Japanese. A fighting strategy of the Japanese in WWII is the Kamikaze fighter which is a suicide bomber that flies there airplane into targets like naval ships for example, and Adam is up against these fighters that are willing to die for their country, perhaps more than Adam. Stubborn like a mule is another phrase that would describe him because in the beginning, he needs his grandfather to sign the papers for him to join the Marines because he is only 17 and you need to be 18 to sign for yourself. He keeps bugging his grandfather until he does and keeps working with him until he takes him to Syracuse to get the papers. He is young in comparison to some of the Marines like the instructors but, the marines that he hangs out with are his age or are 18.

In Heroes Don’t Run, Adam is a marine that goes to Japan to fight in WWII. He lands on Okinawa. With the rest of his platoon. In this alien world, Adam fights with the friends that he made at boot camp against the Japs. He joins the Marines against his mothers will to continue a tradition from his grandfather and his father. His grandfather lost half his arm in the First World War I think it was and his dad died in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. When he gets home from Japan he is congratulated and thanked by the people he walks by on the street and other people.