Posted on 12/10/2010 1:25:02 PM PST by Kid Shelleen
When retired Navy aviator Thomas J. Hudner Jr. walks toward midfield at Lincoln Financial Field Saturday afternoon for the coin toss to start the 111th Army-Navy game, the 2010 Navy cocaptains accompanying him will both be African Americans.
-snip-
on a snowy and bloody afternoon in 1950, despite fierce enemy fire and 30-below temperatures, Hudner somehow landed his plane on a tiny patch of Korean mountainside in an effort to save a downed pilot, Jesse Brown of Hattiesburg, Miss., the Navy's first black aviator.
"I wasn't going to leave him there," said Hudner of that day. "What I had to do was clear."
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
From the story:
He spent 30 years in the Navy, serving as, among other things, the chief executive officer on the USS Kitty Hawk.
CEO?? I guess the Kitty Hawk was a Ferengi carrier.
Seriously, this guy crash-landed a Corsair to try and save his wingman. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. He was a hero from a time when we didn’t use the term so cheaply.
God, I love FreeRepublic. Thank you Kid Shelleen, I have never read that story. Such heroic men, how fitting a tribute to them at the Army-Navy game. The tears won’t stop here for awhile. Godspeed to them both.
I also meant to add...the F4U Corsair is one of my favorite aircraft. I’ve never seen one at the (few) airshows I’ve been to, I would love to ride in one sometime.
Not for their race. Hopefully for their values.
BEAT NAVY.
Scheisskopf headline editor
A few years ago I got to see one at a local air show. It is my absolute favorite fighter of WWII. (And I’m not dissing the other great planes, P51, P47, P38.)
A few years back, they managed to assemble about five or seven of the only remaining flyable Corsairs. Great show. I think one of them had an incident a few shows later.
But, the P-51 will always rule in my heart.
What a great story and a great man!
Can these journalists not spell "recipient"?
That graceful gull-wing design, made famous by the "Black Sheep Squadron"...
Neat-o! :-)
Just another racist article from the LSM.
Ironically, my Grandaddy's name was Jesse Brown, but he was a white man. I never knew him, though. He, and my paternal grandmother both died before I was born.
Great story. I’d salute any of ‘em.
However, I still reserve only my middle finger for the Dung-Beetle-in-Chief.
PING.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.