Ted Guy was born on April 18, 1929, in Elmhurst, Illinois. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Air Force on August 12, 1949, and was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his pilot wings at Reese AFB, Texas, on September 15, 1950. After completing Pilot Instructor Training, Lt Guy served as an instructor pilot with the 3545th Pilot Training Wing at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, from January to October 1951, followed by jet instructor upgrade training at Williams AFB, Arizona, from November 1951 to June 1952. His next assignment was as an instructor pilot with the 3641st Pilot Training Squadron and the 3640th Pilot Training Wing at Laughlin AFB, Texas, from July to October 1952, followed by service as an F-84 Thunderjet pilot with the 430th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Osan AB, South Korea from December 1952 to July 1953. He served as an instructor pilot and gunnery instructor with the 3600th Combat Crew Training Group at Luke AFB, Arizona, from September 1953 to June 1958, and then served as an exchange pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force at RCAF Station, Trenton, Ontario, and then at RCAF Station, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, from July 1958 to July 1960. After completing Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Maj Guy served as an instructor pilot and on the staff of the 3500th Pilot Training Wing at Reese AFB, Texas, from July 1961 to June 1964, followed by service on the staff of Headquarters Air Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas, from June 1964 to April 1967. Col Guy then completed F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training before serving as an F-4 pilot and as Operations Officer with the 559th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cam Ranh Bay AB, South Vietnam, from November 1967 until he was forced to eject over Laos and was taken as a Prisoner of War on March 22, 1968. After spending 1,821 days in captivity, Col Guy was released during Operation Homecoming on March 16, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at March AFB, California, and then served as Assistant Commander of the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead AFB, Florida, from July 1973 until his retirement from the Air Force on August 21, 1975. Ted Guy died on April 23, 1999, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Linda, brother Donald, three sons from his first marriage-Theodore Jr., Michael, and Donald, and three grandsons-Donald Jr., David, and Jeremy.

His Air Force Cross Citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Section 8742, Title 10, United States Code, awards the Air Force Cross to Colonel Theodore W. Guy for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 25 January 1972 to 25 May 1972. During this period, Colonel Guy was subjected to maximum punishment and torture by Vietnamese guards to obtain a detailed confession of escape plans, policies, and orders that he had issued as the senior ranking officer in the prisoner of war camp in which he was commander, and the communications methods used by the Americans interned in the camp. He withstood this punishment and gave nothing of value to the Vietnamese while sustaining many wounds to his body. Through his extraordinary heroism and willpower in the face of the enemy, Colonel Guy reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.