Thomas J. Hudner Jr.

Thomas Jerome Hudner Jr. (August 31, 1924 – November 13, 2017) was a United States Navy officer and naval aviator. He rose to the rank of captain and received the Medal of Honor for attempting to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Hudner attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Initially uninterested in aviation, he eventually trained as a pilot and joined Fighter Squadron 32, flying the F4U Corsair at the outbreak of the Korean War. Arriving off Korea in October 1950, he flew support missions from the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CV-32). On December 4, 1950, Hudner and Brown were among a group of pilots on patrol near the Chosin Reservoir when Brown's Corsair was hit by ground fire from Chinese troops and crashed. In an effort to save Brown from his burning aircraft, Hudner intentionally crash-landed his own aircraft on a snowy mountainside in freezing temperatures. Despite his efforts, Brown died of his injuries, and Hudner was forced to leave his body behind, as a rescue helicopter could not remain after nightfall and Hudner had been injured in the landing. Following the incident, Hudner served aboard several U . Navy ships and with multiple aviation units, including a brief stint as executive officer of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) during a tour in the Vietnam War, before retiring in 1973. In later years, he worked with various veterans' organizations in the United States. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) is named in his honor.