Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Audio Recording Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr. Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Helena (CA 75); VF-32 (Fighter Squadron), USS Leyte (CV 32); Naval Air Advanced Training Command (NAATC); Executive Officer, USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63); Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff; 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; Air War College; VF-53 (Fighter Squadron), USS Ticonderoga (CVA 14); VT-24 (Training Squadron); Commander in Chief Pacific Command (CINCPAC)
- Location of Service: Annapolis, Maryland; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida; Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas; Lebanon; Korea; Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts; Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; North Island, California; Vietnam
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant; Captain
A 1946 graduate of the Naval Academy, Lieutenant Thomas Jerome Hudner arrived off the coast of Korea in early October 1950, a few months after the beginning of the Korean War. A pilot serving with the VF-32 fighter squadron, one of his most notable experiences began on December 4th, 1950. During an armed reconnaissance mission near the Chosin Reservoir, in which they were dispatched to provide support to the Marines fighting there, his wingman’s plane was hit and went down. In an attempt to save the pilot—who was Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy’s first African American aviator—Hudner purposely crash-landed his own plane nearby, waded through a foot of snow over to Brown’s wrecked aircraft, and attempted to extricate him from the cockpit. Though Brown ultimately died from his wounds, Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
More Resources
Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr. Collection
Interview / Recording
-
PlayContext for incident in which Ensign Jesse Brown was shot down. 00:10:10.5 - 00:12:14.0
-
PlayFlying north of the Chosin Reservoir; Brown radioing that he was losing power; seeing Brown wave for help. 00:12:15.0 - 00:15:08.0
-
PlayMaking the decision to crash land; going over to Brown’s cockpit where he was trapped; Brown’s condition; reassuring him. 00:15:09.1 - 00:19:54.9
-
PlayArrival of the helicopter; working with pilot to free Brown; Brown’s speech deteriorating; deciding to go get help; not being able to get back to the crash site; going back three days later to cremate the body. 00:20:35.9 - 00:28:03.1
-
PlayDescription of Brown, and the barriers that he had overcome. 00:29:14.2 - 00:33:08.9
-
PlayReceiving the Medal of Honor; impression of President Truman. 00:34:19.1 - 00:38:45.3
About this Item
Title
- Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr. Collection
Names
- Concord Oral History Program
- Hudner Jr., Thomas Jerome
- Garrelick, Renee
State of Birth
- MA
Home State
- MA
Headings
- - Hudner Jr., Thomas Jerome
- - Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
- - Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- Veteran
Service History
-
Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Helena (CA 75); VF-32 (Fighter Squadron), USS Leyte (CV 32); Naval Air Advanced Training Command (NAATC); Executive Officer, USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63); Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Location of Service: Annapolis, Maryland; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida; Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas; Lebanon; Korea
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Dates of Service: 1943-1973
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: Veteran
-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; Air War College; VF-53 (Fighter Squadron), USS Ticonderoga (CVA 14); VT-24 (Training Squadron); Commander in Chief Pacific Command (CINCPAC)
- Location of Service: Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts; Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; North Island, California; Vietnam
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Dates of Service: 1943-1973
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: Veteran
Materials
- Photograph: Original photographic print [2 items] -- Photograph (collected 1951 - 2001)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 07/23/1990)
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 07/23/1990)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/2938
Cite as
- Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr. Collection (AFC/2001/001/2938), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- online text
- image
- audio
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Annapolis, Maryland
- Korea
- Lebanon
- Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
- Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas
- Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida
- North Island, California
- Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts
- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- Vietnam
Battles & Campaigns
Service Unit
- 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
- Air War College
- Commander in Chief Pacific Command (Cincpac)
- Executive Officer
- Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Naval Air Advanced Training Command (Naatc)
- Staff
- USS Helena (Ca 75)
- USS Kitty Hawk (Cva 63)
- USS Leyte (CV 32)
- USS Ticonderoga (Cva 14)
- Vf-32 (Fighter Squadron)
- Vf-53 (Fighter Squadron)
- Vt-24 (Training Squadron)