Page 17 - Aerotech News and Review, December 18, 2020

Jesse L. Brown & Thomas J. Hudner:

The story of a hero and his wingman

by Bob Alvis a rescue helicopter craft. The most difficult mission ever
special to Aerotech News arrived on the scene flown to that point by the United States
and more hands Navy was launched and the wreckage
We are all aware of the struggles were brought forth was hit with napalm to destroy the two
and triumphs of the Tuskegee Airmen to attempt the res- aircraft and the remains of our young
of World War II. Many hoped that after cue. They chopped hero, Jesse. It was shared that as the
the war, their distinguished service and away at the aircraft pilots made their run over the aircraft,
success would open doors of opportu- with axes, as oth- they recited the Lord’s Prayer.
nity for African Americans to continue ers did their best to For their actions, Thomas J. Hud-
to serve as pilots in the military. But keep the fire away. ner, Jr. received the Medal of Honor
that would not be the case, as struggles As the sun was get- and Jesse L. Brown was posthumously
to overcome racial barriers were still ting low on the hori- awarded the Distinguished Flying
a challenge, especially in the civilian zon, Jesse made the Cross, Air Medal and Purple Heart
world where the education needed to suggestion to just for his bravery and dedication to his
realize those dreams of flight would still cut his leg off, but mission. Jesse Brown was a true pio-
be hard to come by. those gathered real- neer and an inspiration to fellow na-
In 1946, Mississippi-born Jesse L. ized that they were
Brown entered the United States Navy not equipped or ca- val aviators for generations to come
as a midshipman. Being a fan of all pable of doing such and the Navy found it fitting that a
U.S. warship would bear the name
things flying, the young man from an a thing. In a heart-
impoverished family did all he could breaking moment, USS Jesse L. Brown.
with his limited educational opportu- Jesse whispered in As for Tom Hudner, Brown’s fellow
nities. He excelled in his learning at a his friend Tom’s pilot and wingman, he spent the rest of his
racially segregated high school, gradu- ear, “Tell my wife, life living in a manner that would bring
ated with honors and then went on to Daisy, I love her.” respect and honor to Jesse, even going as
get a degree from Ohio State Univer- Tom, thinking far as to try and retrieve his remains from
sity. But the Navy, at the time, was not there would still that North Korean hillside to no avail.
looking for aviators of color. No matter be hope for a res- Ensign Jesse L. Brown was a special
the education and skills, that color bar- cue, did his best to man who overcame so much, back in the
rier in the Navy was still a hard one to Navy photograph comfort his friend days when men and women of color had
overcome. Incredible Bravery: Jesse L Brown, an exemplary aviator in the U.S. Navy, the very first in a long and made the hard to fight for the respect of those who chal-
On Oct. 21, 1948, amid a flurry of distinguished line of African American Aviators in the U.S. Navy. call to return with lenged their acceptance into American
press coverage, the United States Navy the helicopter crew society. But something stood out in his
took the first step toward becoming atop a snow-covered hilltop. Sadly, that ticed that Brown’s Corsair was trailing to form up another personality that made him like a magnet
a service that would accept African is also where his career would come to fluid and they climbed up a bit to evalu- attempt for a rescue. But that was not to his fellow aviators, something that
Americans as pilots of Navy aircraft. an early end. ate the damage. It was determined that to be. Higher-ups did not want to put made progress possible in a world and in
Jesse Brown would earn his wings small arms fire had fatally wounded the another rescue effort at the mercy of en- a country with so far to go when it came
on that date. Just three months later, When the squadron of Corsairs left the Corsair, which was soon rapidly losing emy troops, who would now be aware to race relations. As an aviator, he tran-
he was assigned to Fighter Squadron deck of the USS Leyte, Ensign Brown altitude, and that a return trip back to of the downed aircraft and would use it scended boundaries of race and became
was no longer just an African American
32 and shipped off to serve aboard the ship was out of the question. Brown as bait to pick off would-be rescuers. a brother who was worthy of the titles of
the aircraft carrier USS Leyte off the pilot — he was a well-respected part of faced the reality that he was going to end Squadron 32 was now less one of their Hero, Aviator and Friend. To America, he
Korean Peninsula. It was now 1950 and a close-knit group of naval aviators who up somewhere in enemy territory and became the legend that would challenge
war was raging in Korea, as the North no longer looked at the world through that a crash landing was his only chance own and suffered the broken heart of us to overcome and be our very best,
the loss of a beloved fellow pilot — and
and the South struggled to get a foothold the lens of skin color, but as brothers- of survival. while not looking at skin color but rather
in each other’s territory. The USS Leyte in-arms who would have each other’s not knowing his fate just made it that at the character of all people and treat-
was called upon to provide air support backs through thick and thin. Fellow With Hudner on his wing and the rest much more difficult to process. ing them with the respect and dignity we
for UN-supported troops on the ground in pilot Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. would form of the flight flying top cover, Brown The next day a flight was dispatched should want for all.
picked his spot on that snow-covered
and around the Chosin Reservoir. Fighter up on the wing of Jesse’s Corsair and to fly over the crash site. Brown’s re- Ensign Jesse L. Brown, you never
Squadron 32 would be called up on Dec, be his wingman for the duration of the hillside and set it down, only to find mains could still be seen in the wreck- came home, but in our hearts you will
out that snow-covered hills do a very
4 to fly a sweep and take out targets of mission. Little did Jesse and Tom realize age, less his clothes. It was thought
opportunity along the reservoir. that their fate that day would change their good job of camouflaging the obsta- that the enemy had been at the site and walk with us every day and we will never
Ensign Jesse L. Brown had come a lives forever and a friendship would be cles that would ultimately destroy his were now planting a trap for would-be forget how you gave your very best for
long way from his first flight in a Stea- formed that would transcend skin color plane. The aircraft bucked and plowed rescuers. The two Corsairs lay in the all of us.
rman at Glenview Naval Air Station in and race. They would become brothers through the snow until it came to rest snow and the order was given that the Until next time, Bob Out ...
Illinois and the struggles of being the formed from tragedy. with Brown hopelessly trapped in his wreckage should be destroyed, so as to
only black man in the Naval Training As the six-ship Corsair flight began smoldering Corsair. From above, his not supply the enemy with any possible Editor’s note: This article was first
program. Now, with just 20 combat mis- their low-level search and destroy runs, wingman maintained radio contact and intel that could be gained from the two published Jan. 31, 2020.
sions under his belt, his struggles to find they were not receiving much opposi- did all he could to help coach him out
his place among the elite aviators of the tion from the enemy, or so they thought. of his predicament, but Brown’s leg
United States Navy would be achieved After one particular pass, Hudner no- was hopelessly pinned in his plane and
his struggles were fruitless. Hudner,
surveying the unfolding drama, made
a choice that would earn him respect
from fellow aviators for the rest of his
life.
Tom crash-landed his plane near his
friend Jesse’s burning plane and at-
tempted to remove him from the wreck-
age, while at the same time fighting the
fire with snow as the only available
tool to stop it from spreading. They
tried and tried to pry the wreckage to
free his leg that was being held in a
death grip by the twisted metal. Tom,
seeing that his fellow pilot and friend
was beginning to slip in and out of con- Navy photograph
sciousness, kept exchanging small talk
Navy photograph Thomas Hudner receiving the Medal of Honor from President Truman with
Jesse Brown with his fellow pilots from Fighter Squadron 23. and thoughts of hope to keep him from Jesse’s wife Daisy standing to the left. They became good friends.
giving up. After some time had passed,
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