Thomas Jerome Hudner Jr. was an officer of the U.S. Navy and a naval aviator. He rose to the rank of captain, and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. Hudner was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, and attended Phillips Academy and the United States Naval Academy.
About Thomas J. Hudner Jr. in brief
Thomas Jerome Hudner Jr. was an officer of the U.S. Navy and a naval aviator. He rose to the rank of captain, and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. Hudner was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, and attended Phillips Academy and the United States Naval Academy. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner is named for him. His father, Thomas Hudner Sr., was a businessman of Irish descent who ran a chain of grocery stores, Hudner’s Markets. His uncle, Harold Hudner, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1921 and his father graduated from Phillips Academy in 1939. The three younger Hudner children would attend the academy as well; James in 1944, Richard in 1946 and Phillip in 1954. He was a team captain in the school track team as well as a member of the football and lacrosse teams, a class officer, and an assistant house counselor. He also played football at the academy, eventually becoming a starting running back for the junior varsity team. During his initial years in the military, he said he had no interest in aircraft, but eventually took up flying and joined Fighter Squadron 32, flying the F4U Corsair. In October 1950, he flew support missions from the aircraft carrier USS Leyte. On the night of June 25-26, 1950, ten divisions of the North Korean People’s Army launched a full-scale invasion of the nation’s neighbor, the Republic of Korea.
Most of the South Korean forces retreated in the face of the numerically superior North Korean forces. The North Korean Army suffered from widespread lack of organization and organization, resulting in a rout by the South’s forces. Most. of South Korea’s forces were unprepared for the war, and retreated in face of North Korean resistance. In spite of these efforts, Brown died of his injuries and Hudner was forced to evacuate, having also been injured in the landing. After retiring in 1973, he worked for various veterans’ organizations in the United states. He later said he considered the Navy to be the safe place to be as he considered it to be “safe and comfortable” to be a naval officer. He died of a heart attack at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter. He leaves behind a son, James, a son-in-law, Richard, and two step-children, Phillip and Phillip Hudner III, all of whom are still living in the same place he grew up. His grandson, James Hudner IV, is also a Navy officer and served in the Navy. He served as executive officer of USS Kitty Hawk during a tour in the Vietnam War, before retiring from the Navy in 1973. He had previously served as a communications officer aboard several surface ships, including the Baltimore-class heavy cruiser USS Helena.
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