The Hero in the Shadows by Galen

The Hero in the Shadows by Galen - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

If I could have dinner with anyone in history, it would be with the one man who made such a monumental difference in the world and without asking for a single word of thanks. He saved thousands of lived and saved thousand more from potentially being killed yet all he did was solve an impossible riddle, and no one even knew. This man’s name is Alan Turing.

Alan Turing was a mathematical genius and he was asked to complete the seemingly impossible job of breaking the German messaging code during world war two called enigma. He was asked to keep all of his work secret and even after the war they kept all of his accomplishments and achievements unknown to the public, in case another enigma were to reappear. The system he created to beat enigma was called the Alan Turing machine, or as we know today: the computer. He, however, called the machine Christopher. It was the name of his childhood friend and also the first person he loved, who died from a disease before Alan could say anything. Being the era that it was, Homosexuality was considered a disease that could be cured with medication, and after his efforts which caused the war to be an estimated two years shorter he was still prosecuted for being who he was. If I could have dinner with him I would ask him, how did he find the motivation to save the people who only tried to take away what he loved most in life?

I would ask how he ever thought of creating the machine? Was Christopher his motivation? How did he keep his strength while others sought to fix his homosexuality when there was nothing wrong with him? Alan Turing without a doubt was a very strong man, having the resilience to serve his country even though the country itself was oppressing him and his identity. Alan Turing sadly committed suicide after being in extreme depression due to the experimental chemical castration medication he took for homosexuality after he was convicted for acts of homosexuality that was at the time a criminal offense. Recently, Turing was given a royal pardon 59 years after his death in recognition of his contribution to breaking enigma in world war two and also for revolutionizing the start of computer sciences. I would love to see Turing receive this pardon and recognition in person seeing him properly thanked for the lives he saved and the revolution he started. I myself would like to thank him for helping end a war which could have ended my great grandparents life. He played a pivotal role in the history of our nation and I admire his character and perseverance.

Alan Turing is a hero in the shadows, his actions kept secret, and his help never publicly appreciated. I wish i could spend not only lunch with this international hero but spend a day hearing his stories and also be a friend to a man who had few. To show him that I appreciate his sacrifice and without him our world would not be the same. For his name I will always remember. The name Alan Turing.