Jesse L. Brown
Encyclopedia
Jesse LeRoy Brown was the first African American
naval aviator
in the United States Navy
, and the first naval officer killed in the Korean War
.
Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
to an impoverished family, Brown gained an avid interest in aircraft from a young age. In spite of encountering deep-seated institutionalized racism
, Brown was able to graduate as salutatorian
of his high school. Brown enlisted in the US Navy in 1946 and became a midshipman
one year later. Brown earned his pilot wings
on October 21, 1948, to great press coverage. He was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the USS Leyte
.
Upon the outset of the Korean War
, the Leyte was ordered to the Korean Peninsula
, arriving in October 1950. Brown, an Ensign
, flew 20 combat missions until December 4, 1950, when during a mission supporting ground troops at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
. Brown's F4U Corsair
aircraft was shot down on a remote mountaintop, pinning him inside. In spite of efforts by wingman Thomas J. Hudner, Jr.
, who intentionally crashed his aircraft to try an rescue Brown, the latter succumbed to his wounds. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor
for his actions.
Brown's efforts to overcome segregation
in the US military and his death served as an inspiration for other African Americans. His life was later memorialized in several books, and the USS Jesse L. Brown (DE-1089) was named in his honor.
. He was one of six children born to John Brown, a grocer
y warehouse worker, and Julia Lindsey Brown, a schoolteacher. He had four brothers, Marvin, William, Fletcher, and Lura, as well as a sister, Johnny. Brown was a mixture of African American
, Chicksaw and Choctaw
Native American
ancestry. The family lived in a house without central heating
, indoor plumbing or running water so the family relied on a fireplace
for warmth. As a child, Jesse's brother William fell into this fireplace and was severely burned.
At the beginning of the Great Depression
, John Brown lost his job, and relocated the family to Palmer's Crossing, 10 miles (16.1 km) from Hattiesburg, where he took a job at a turpentine
factory, where he worked until 1938 when he was laid off from this job as well. John Brown then moved the family to Lux, Mississippi to be a part of a sharecropper farm. During this time, Jesse Brown shared a bed with his brothers and attended a one-room school 3 miles (4.8 km) away. His parents were very strict about school attendance and homework, and so Jesse Brown walked the distance to school every day. The family was also a committed Baptist Christian family and Jesse, William and Julia Brown sang in the church choir. In his spare time, Brown also worked in the fields of the farm harvesting corn
and cotton
.
When Jesse Brown was six years old, his father took him to an air show
. Brown gained an intense interest in flying from this experience, and afterward was attracted to a dirt airfield near his home, which he visited frequently in spite of being chased away by a local mechanic.
At age 13, Brown took a job as a paperboy
for the Pittsburgh Courier
, a black press paper. As part of this job, Brown himself became an avid reader of the paper, and took interest in African-American aviators of the time including C. Alfred Anderson, Eugine Jacques Bullard and Bessie Coleman
. Brown, inspired by these aviators, had said he wanted to be a pilot from a very young age. He also became an avid reader of Popular Aviation and the Chicago Defender
, which he later said heavily influenced his desire to fly Naval aircraft. In his childhood he was described as "serious, witty, unassuming and very intelligent." In 1937, he wrote a letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
in which he complained of the injustice of African American pilots being kept out of the US Army Air Corps, to which the White House
responded with a letter staying it appreciated the viewpoint.
, American football
, and track and field
teams. Brown graduated from this school as the salutatorian
in 1944. During this time he met Daisy Pearl Nix, and the two began to date. They would marry during Brown's military training in 1947. In the meantime, the two wrote letters to one another almost daily.
Following graduation, Jesse Brown sought to enroll in a college further to the north. His principal, Nathaniel Burger, advised he attend an all-black college, as his brother Marvin Brown had done. However, he ended up enrolling in Ohio State University
as his childhood role model, Jesse Owens
, had done. Burger told Brown only seven African-Americans had graduated from the school that year but Brown was nonetheless determined to enroll, feeling he would compete well with white students.
Brown took several side jobs to save money for college, including waiting tables at the Holmes Club, a saloon for white US Army soldiers. In this job, Brown was frequently the target of racist verbal abuse but nonetheless continued the job, earning 600 to pay for college. In fall 1944, Brown took a segregated train to Columbus, Ohio
and began school at Ohio State.
Brown moved into an on-campus rooming house at 61 E. Eleventh Avenue in the primarily black neighborhood of Columbus' University District. and majored in architectural engineering
. Brown attempted several times to apply to the school's aviation
program but was denied because of his race. Brown joined the track and field team as well as the wrestling
team, but soon dropped both for financial reasons. He took a job as a janitor at a local Lazarus
department store
and then was hired by the Pennsylvania Railroad
to a job loading boxcar
s from 15:30 to midnight each day. In spite of this, he maintained top marks in his classes. In spite of the difficulties with his academics and institutional segregation in the city, Brown found most of his fellow students were friendly toward him. Brown rarely returned to Mississippi during the school year but in the summers he worked at a dry cleaner in Hattiesburg to help pay for his classes.
During his second year in college, Brown learned of the V-5 Aviation Cadet Training Program
being conducted by the US Navy to commission Naval aviation
pilots. In spite of resistance from recruiters, Brown passed entrance exams. Brown enlisted in the US Naval Reserve on July 8, 1946 and was admitted to the aviation program, becoming a Seaman Apprentice
in the US Navy and a member of the school's Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, giving him a 50 stipend each month and allowing him to quit his jobs and complete his architectural engineering degree in 1947.
for Naval Flight Officer
training. There, his enlistment ended April 15, and Brown was the only African American midshipman
in the program. Though he anticipated antagonism for this, he found the other cadets were generally friendly and welcoming of him. However, he found many of the black cooks and janitors hostile to him. Brown got his first flight time aboard a Stearman N2S trainer aircraft.
In spite of the rigors of the initial training, Brown was encouraged by instructors and completed the first phase of training, transferring to Ottumwa Naval Air Station in Ottumwa, Iowa
for the next phase. The Ottumwa training involved intense physical fitness and technical training, which Brown completed. Thereafter he was moved to Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida
to train in aircraft flight. In Pensacola, Brown and Nix married in secret, as Naval Cadets were not allowed to marry until their training was complete, under threat of immediate dismissal. Nix took a room in Pensacola, and the two visited one another on weekends. In spite of overt racism from at least one instructor and several classmates at this posting, Brown completed the rigorous training in August 1947.
By June 1948, Brown had begun training for Carrier-based aircraft
aboard the USS Wright
. Brown hoped to qualify aboard the F4U Corsair
or the F6F Hellcat
. After he completed this training, he was moved to Jacksonville, Florida
for his final training. On October 21, 1948, he completed his training and was and given his Naval Aviator Badge. This accomplishment was widely publicized, and Brown became nationally known. The Associated Press
profiled him and his photo appeared in Life Magazine. In his efforts to become a pilot, Brown was said to have broken the "color barrier."
Following his commissioning, Brown was assigned to temporary duty at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia
. On December 22, 1948, Brown's daughter, Pamela Elise Brown, was born.
In January 1949, Brown was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the USS Leyte (CV-32)
. Over the next 18 months, the unit conducted numerous training exercises along the east coast, many of them taking place at Quonset point. Brown reported here his superiors treated him fairly and held others to equal standards. The unit trained rigorously in aircraft maneuvers.
Brown was commissioned as an Ensign
in the US Navy on April 26, 1949. At this point, he could reveal his marriage to his superiors. Brown was assigned to Quonset Point Naval Air Station
in Quonset, Rhode Island. He was assigned to the US Atlantic Fleet. Brown reported that incidents of racism and discrimination which had been harsh late in his training were substantially relieved once he became an officer, though racism against him persisted. By the outbreak of the Korean War
, he had gained a reputation among the others in the squadron and an experienced pilot and capable section leader. He was known to be well-liked among other pilots and the black stewards and support staff of the carrier. However, Brown did not socialize much with the other pilots, and was known to spend as much time as was possible visiting his wife.
by surprise, resulting in a rout. The smaller South Korean army suffered from widespread lack of organization and equipment, and was unprepared for war. The numerically superior North Korean forces destroyed isolated resistance from the 38,000 South Korean soldiers on the front before it began moving steadily south. Most of South Korea's forces retreated in the face of the invasion. The North Koreans were well on their way to South Korea's capital of Seoul
within hours, forcing the government and its shattered army to retreat further south.
To prevent South Korea's collapse the United Nations Security Council
voted to send military forces. The United States' Seventh Fleet
dispatched Task Force 77, led by the fleet carrier
USS Valley Forge
; the British
Far East Fleet dispatched several ships, including HMS Triumph
, to provide air and naval support. Although the navies blockaded North Korea and launched aircraft to delay the North Korean forces these efforts alone did not stop the North Korean Army juggernaut on its southern advance. U.S. President Harry S. Truman
ordered ground troops into the country to supplement the air support. All US Navy units, including the Leyte were placed on alert. At the time, the ship was in the Mediterranean Sea
and Brown did not expect to be deployed to Korea, but on August 8 a relief carrier arrived in the area and the Leyte ordered to Korea. Commanders felt the pilots on the carrier were better trained, and so needed in the theatre. The ship sailed from the Strait of Gibraltar
across the Atlantic Ocean
and to Quinoset, them through the Panama Canal
and San Diego, California
, Hawaii
, and Japan
before arriving in Korea around October 8.
The Leyte was eventually ordered to Korea, arriving in October 1950. The ship joined Task Force 77
off the northeast coast of the Korean Peninsula
, part of a fleet of 17 ships from the US Seventh Fleet, including the aircraft carrier
USS Philippine Sea
, battleship
USS Missouri
and cruiser
USS Juneau
. Brown flew 20 missions in-country. These missions included attacks on communication lines, troop concentrations and military installations around Wonsan
, Chongpu, Songjim and Senanju.
Following the entrance of the People's Republic of China
into the war in late November 1950, Brown and his squadron were dispatched to the Chosin Reservoir, where an intense campaign
was being fought between the People's Volunteer Army
and the US X Corps. Almost 100,000 Chinese troops had surrounded 15,000 US troops, and Brown and other pilots on the Leyte were flying dozens of close air support
missions every day to prevent the Chinese from overrunning the US troops.
On December 4, 1950, Brown was part of a six-aircraft flight supporting US Marine Corps ground troops who were trapped by Chinese forces. At 13:38, Brown took off from the Leyte with squadron executive officer
Lieutenant Commander
Dick Cevoli, Lieutenant George Hudson, Lieutenant Junior Grade Bill Koenig, Ensign Ralph McQueen, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas J. Hudner, Jr.
, who was Brown's wingman
. During this flight, Brown had the call sign "Iroquois 13." The flight traveled 100 miles (160.9 km) from the Task Force's location to the Chosin Reservoir, flying 35 to 40 minutes through very harsh wintery weather to the vicinity of villages Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri. The flight began searching for targets along the west side of the reservoir, lowering their altitude to 700 feet (213.4 m) in the process. The mission was a three-hour search and destroy
flight as well as an attempt to probe Chinese troop strength in the area.
Though the flight spotted no Chinese, at 14:40 Koenig radioed to Brown that he appeared to training fuel. The damage had likely come by small arms
fire from Chinese infantry, who were known to hide in the snow and ambush passing aircraft by firing in unison. At least one bullet had ruptured a fuel line. Brown, losing fuel pressure and increasingly unable to control the aircraft, dropped his external fuel tanks and rockets and attempted to land the craft in a snow-covered clearing on the side of a mountain. Brown crashed into a bowl-shaped valley at approximately 40°36′N 127°06′E. The aircraft broke up violently upon impact and was destroyed. In the crash, Brown's leg was pinned beneath the fuselage
of the aircraft, and he stripped off his helmet and gloves in an attempt to free himself, before waving to the other pilots, who were circling close overhead. The other pilots had thought he had died in the crash. Brown had crash landed near Somong-ni, 15 miles (24.1 km) behind Chinese lines in 15-degree weather, and the other pilots began a Mayday
radio to any heavy transport aircraft in the area as they canvassed the mountain for any sign of Chinese ground forces who may threaten Brown. They received a signal that a rescue helicopter
would come as soon as possible, but Brown's aircraft was smoking and a fire had started near its internal fuel tanks.
Hudner attempted in vain to rescue Brown, before intentionally crash landing
his vehicle to attempt to pull Brown from the burning wreck before running to Brown's side and attempting to wrestle him free from the wreck. With Brown's condition worsening by the minute, Hudner attempted to drown the aircraft fire in snow, and pull Brown from the aircraft, all in vain, and Brown began slipping in and out of consciousness. Brown, in spite of being in great pain, did not complain to Hudner. A rescue helicopter arrived around 15:00, and Hudner and its pilot, Lieutenant Charled Ward were unable to put out the engine fire with a fire extinguisher
and tried in vain to free Brown with an axe for 45 minutes. They even considered, at Brown's request, amputating his trapped leg. Brown lost consciousness shortly thereafter. His last known words, which he told Hudner, were "Tell Daisy I love her." The helicopter, which was unable to operate in the darkness, was forced to leave at nightfall with Hudner, leaving Brown behind. Brown is believed to have died shortly thereafter of his injuries and exposure to the extreme cold. No Chinese forces threatened the site, likely thanks to heavy air presence of Brown and Hudner's unit.
Hudner begged superiors to allow him to return to the wreck to help extract Brown, but he was not allowed, as other officers feared an ambush of the vulnerable helicopters resulting in casualties. In order to prevent the body and the aircraft from falling into Chinese or North Korean hands, the US Navy bombed the aircraft with napalm
two days later, reportedly reciting the Lord's Prayer
over the radio as they watched Brown's body consumed by flames. The pilots observed his body looked to have been disturbed and his clothes stolen, but still stuck in the aircraft. The remains of both Brown and the aircraft were never recovered. Brown was the first US Navy officer killed in the war.
, the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal
. For the failed rescue attempt, Hudner received the Medal of Honor
, the highest valor award presented by the US military.
Brown's shipmates memorialized him in a shipwide newspaper as "a Christian soldier, a gentleman, a shipmate and friend ... His courage and faith ... shone like a beacon for all to see." As word of his death spread, Hudner was known to have inspired numerous other African Americans to become pilots, notably Seaman Apprentice Frank E. Petersen
, who later said news of Brown's death resolved him to become a pilot himself. Petersen would become the first African American Marine Corps aviator and the first African American Marine Corps General, graduating from the Naval Aviation Training Program in 1952 and retiring from the military after 38 years in 1988 with the rank of Lieutenant General
.
On February 17, 1973, the Navy commissioned the Knox-class frigate
USS Jesse L. Brown (DE-1089), the first US Ship named in honor of an African American. Present at the commissioning ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts were Daisy Brown Thorne, who had remarried, Pamela Brown, and Hudner, who gave a dedication. The ship was decommissioned on July 27, 1994 and sold to Egypt
.
An extensive biography of Brown was later compiled by author Theodore Taylor
, who had also served in Korea at the time of Brown's death, which he said moved him greatly. Taylor interviewed many of Brown's closest friends and family and consulted records from the Leytes ship log to Daisy Brown's personal diary in his 300-page book which was published in 2007.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
naval aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and the first naval officer killed in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
to an impoverished family, Brown gained an avid interest in aircraft from a young age. In spite of encountering deep-seated institutionalized racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, Brown was able to graduate as salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
of his high school. Brown enlisted in the US Navy in 1946 and became a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
one year later. Brown earned his pilot wings
United States Aviator Badge
A United States Aviator Badge refers to three types of aviation badges issued by the United States military, those being for Army, Air Force, and Naval aviation....
on October 21, 1948, to great press coverage. He was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the USS Leyte
USS Leyte (CV-32)
USS Leyte was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the third US Navy ship to bear the name. Leyte was commissioned in April 1946, too late to serve in World War II...
.
Upon the outset of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the Leyte was ordered to the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
, arriving in October 1950. Brown, an Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
, flew 20 combat missions until December 4, 1950, when during a mission supporting ground troops at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Changjin Lake Campaign ,Official Chinese sources refer to this battle as the Second Phase Campaign Eastern Sector . The Western Sector is the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River. was a decisive battle in the Korean War...
. Brown's F4U Corsair
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
aircraft was shot down on a remote mountaintop, pinning him inside. In spite of efforts by wingman Thomas J. Hudner, Jr.
Thomas J. Hudner, Jr.
Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr. is a retired officer of the United States Navy and a former naval aviator. Hudner 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...
, who intentionally crashed his aircraft to try an rescue Brown, the latter succumbed to his wounds. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his actions.
Brown's efforts to overcome segregation
Segregation
Segregation or segregate refers to setting apart or separating things or people and may refer to:* Particle segregation* Segregation in materials* Magnetic-activated cell sorting* Segregate * Mendel's law of segregation...
in the US military and his death served as an inspiration for other African Americans. His life was later memorialized in several books, and the USS Jesse L. Brown (DE-1089) was named in his honor.
Early life
Jesse LeRoy Brown was born on October 13, 1926 in Hattiesburg, MississippiHattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
. He was one of six children born to John Brown, a grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
y warehouse worker, and Julia Lindsey Brown, a schoolteacher. He had four brothers, Marvin, William, Fletcher, and Lura, as well as a sister, Johnny. Brown was a mixture of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, Chicksaw and Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
ancestry. The family lived in a house without central heating
Central heating
A central heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building from one point to multiple rooms. When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may be a HVAC system.Central heating differs from local heating in that the heat generation...
, indoor plumbing or running water so the family relied on a fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
for warmth. As a child, Jesse's brother William fell into this fireplace and was severely burned.
At the beginning of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, John Brown lost his job, and relocated the family to Palmer's Crossing, 10 miles (16.1 km) from Hattiesburg, where he took a job at a turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
factory, where he worked until 1938 when he was laid off from this job as well. John Brown then moved the family to Lux, Mississippi to be a part of a sharecropper farm. During this time, Jesse Brown shared a bed with his brothers and attended a one-room school 3 miles (4.8 km) away. His parents were very strict about school attendance and homework, and so Jesse Brown walked the distance to school every day. The family was also a committed Baptist Christian family and Jesse, William and Julia Brown sang in the church choir. In his spare time, Brown also worked in the fields of the farm harvesting corn
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
When Jesse Brown was six years old, his father took him to an air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
. Brown gained an intense interest in flying from this experience, and afterward was attracted to a dirt airfield near his home, which he visited frequently in spite of being chased away by a local mechanic.
At age 13, Brown took a job as a paperboy
Paperboy
A paperboy is the general name for a person employed by a newspaper, They are often used around the office to run low end errands. They make copies and distribute them. Paperboys traditionally were and are still often portrayed on television and movies as preteen boys, often on a bicycle...
for the Pittsburgh Courier
Pittsburgh Courier
The Pittsburgh Courier was an American newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which was published from 1907 to 1965. Once the country's most widely circulated Black newspaper, the legacy and influence of the Pittsburgh Courier is unparalleled.A pillar of the Black Press, it rose...
, a black press paper. As part of this job, Brown himself became an avid reader of the paper, and took interest in African-American aviators of the time including C. Alfred Anderson, Eugine Jacques Bullard and Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman
Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was an American civil aviator. She was the first female pilot of African American descent and the first person of African American descent to hold an international pilot license.-Early life:...
. Brown, inspired by these aviators, had said he wanted to be a pilot from a very young age. He also became an avid reader of Popular Aviation and the Chicago Defender
Chicago Defender
The Chicago Defender is a Chicago based newspaper founded in 1905 by an African American for primarily African American readers.In just three years from 1919–1922 the Defender also attracted the writing talents of Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks....
, which he later said heavily influenced his desire to fly Naval aircraft. In his childhood he was described as "serious, witty, unassuming and very intelligent." In 1937, he wrote a letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in which he complained of the injustice of African American pilots being kept out of the US Army Air Corps, to which the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
responded with a letter staying it appreciated the viewpoint.
Education
In 1939, Brown attended Eureka High School in Hattiesburg, a segregated school, living with his aunt during this time because the schools closer to this family were lower-quality. Brown was an excellent student in this school, attaining high marks in his classes and was a member of the basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams. Brown graduated from this school as the salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
in 1944. During this time he met Daisy Pearl Nix, and the two began to date. They would marry during Brown's military training in 1947. In the meantime, the two wrote letters to one another almost daily.
Following graduation, Jesse Brown sought to enroll in a college further to the north. His principal, Nathaniel Burger, advised he attend an all-black college, as his brother Marvin Brown had done. However, he ended up enrolling in Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
as his childhood role model, Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
, had done. Burger told Brown only seven African-Americans had graduated from the school that year but Brown was nonetheless determined to enroll, feeling he would compete well with white students.
Brown took several side jobs to save money for college, including waiting tables at the Holmes Club, a saloon for white US Army soldiers. In this job, Brown was frequently the target of racist verbal abuse but nonetheless continued the job, earning 600 to pay for college. In fall 1944, Brown took a segregated train to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and began school at Ohio State.
Brown moved into an on-campus rooming house at 61 E. Eleventh Avenue in the primarily black neighborhood of Columbus' University District. and majored in architectural engineering
Architectural engineering
Architectural engineering, also known as building engineering, is the application of engineering principles and technology to building design and construction...
. Brown attempted several times to apply to the school's aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
program but was denied because of his race. Brown joined the track and field team as well as the wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team, but soon dropped both for financial reasons. He took a job as a janitor at a local Lazarus
Lazarus (department store)
F&R Lazarus & Company — commonly known as Lazarus — was a regional department store retail chain operating primarily in the U.S. Midwest, and based in Columbus, Ohio...
department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
and then was hired by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
to a job loading boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s from 15:30 to midnight each day. In spite of this, he maintained top marks in his classes. In spite of the difficulties with his academics and institutional segregation in the city, Brown found most of his fellow students were friendly toward him. Brown rarely returned to Mississippi during the school year but in the summers he worked at a dry cleaner in Hattiesburg to help pay for his classes.
During his second year in college, Brown learned of the V-5 Aviation Cadet Training Program
Aviation Cadet Training Program (USN)
-Naval Aviation Cadet program :In 1914, the Navy began training Naval Aviators at the newly founded Pensacola NAS, dubbed the "Annapolis of the Air". Candidates had to have served at least 2 years of sea duty and training was for 12 months. In 1917, the Navy's program became part of the Flying...
being conducted by the US Navy to commission Naval aviation
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
pilots. In spite of resistance from recruiters, Brown passed entrance exams. Brown enlisted in the US Naval Reserve on July 8, 1946 and was admitted to the aviation program, becoming a Seaman Apprentice
Seaman Apprentice
ConstructionmanvariationFiremanvariationAirmanvariationSeamaninsigniaSeaman apprentice is the second lowest enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above seaman recruit and below seaman; this rank was formerly known as seaman second class.The actual title for an E-2 in the U.S....
in the US Navy and a member of the school's Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, giving him a 50 stipend each month and allowing him to quit his jobs and complete his architectural engineering degree in 1947.
Military career
On March 15, 1947, Brown reported to Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview, IllinoisGlenview, Illinois
There are at least two locations in Illinois called Glenview:*Glenview, Cook County, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago*Glenview, St. Clair County, Illinois, an eastern suburb of St. Louis...
for Naval Flight Officer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
training. There, his enlistment ended April 15, and Brown was the only African American midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in the program. Though he anticipated antagonism for this, he found the other cadets were generally friendly and welcoming of him. However, he found many of the black cooks and janitors hostile to him. Brown got his first flight time aboard a Stearman N2S trainer aircraft.
In spite of the rigors of the initial training, Brown was encouraged by instructors and completed the first phase of training, transferring to Ottumwa Naval Air Station in Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
for the next phase. The Ottumwa training involved intense physical fitness and technical training, which Brown completed. Thereafter he was moved to Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
to train in aircraft flight. In Pensacola, Brown and Nix married in secret, as Naval Cadets were not allowed to marry until their training was complete, under threat of immediate dismissal. Nix took a room in Pensacola, and the two visited one another on weekends. In spite of overt racism from at least one instructor and several classmates at this posting, Brown completed the rigorous training in August 1947.
By June 1948, Brown had begun training for Carrier-based aircraft
Carrier-based aircraft
Carrier-based aircraft are military aircraft designed specifically for operations from aircraft carriers. The term is generally applied only to fixed-wing aircraft, as naval helicopters are able to operate from a wider variety of aviation-capable ships. Carrier-based aircraft must be relatively...
aboard the USS Wright
USS Wright (CVL-49)
The USS Wright was a Saipan-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, later converted to the command ship CC-2. It is the second ship named "Wright"...
. Brown hoped to qualify aboard the F4U Corsair
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
or the F6F Hellcat
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
. After he completed this training, he was moved to Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
for his final training. On October 21, 1948, he completed his training and was and given his Naval Aviator Badge. This accomplishment was widely publicized, and Brown became nationally known. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
profiled him and his photo appeared in Life Magazine. In his efforts to become a pilot, Brown was said to have broken the "color barrier."
Following his commissioning, Brown was assigned to temporary duty at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. On December 22, 1948, Brown's daughter, Pamela Elise Brown, was born.
In January 1949, Brown was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the USS Leyte (CV-32)
USS Leyte (CV-32)
USS Leyte was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the third US Navy ship to bear the name. Leyte was commissioned in April 1946, too late to serve in World War II...
. Over the next 18 months, the unit conducted numerous training exercises along the east coast, many of them taking place at Quonset point. Brown reported here his superiors treated him fairly and held others to equal standards. The unit trained rigorously in aircraft maneuvers.
Brown was commissioned as an Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the US Navy on April 26, 1949. At this point, he could reveal his marriage to his superiors. Brown was assigned to Quonset Point Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station Quonset Point
Naval Air Station Quonset Point was a United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was deactivated in 1974. Next to NAS Quonset Point was Camp Endicott at Davisville, home of the Naval Construction Battalions known as the Seabees. Quonset Point also gave its name to the Quonset hut,...
in Quonset, Rhode Island. He was assigned to the US Atlantic Fleet. Brown reported that incidents of racism and discrimination which had been harsh late in his training were substantially relieved once he became an officer, though racism against him persisted. By the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, he had gained a reputation among the others in the squadron and an experienced pilot and capable section leader. He was known to be well-liked among other pilots and the black stewards and support staff of the carrier. However, Brown did not socialize much with the other pilots, and was known to spend as much time as was possible visiting his wife.
Korean War
On the night of June 25, 1950, ten divisions of the North Korean People's Army launched a full-scale invasion of the nation's neighbor to the south, the Republic of Korea. The force of 89,000 men moved in six columns, catching the Republic of Korea ArmyRepublic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
by surprise, resulting in a rout. The smaller South Korean army suffered from widespread lack of organization and equipment, and was unprepared for war. The numerically superior North Korean forces destroyed isolated resistance from the 38,000 South Korean soldiers on the front before it began moving steadily south. Most of South Korea's forces retreated in the face of the invasion. The North Koreans were well on their way to South Korea's capital of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
within hours, forcing the government and its shattered army to retreat further south.
To prevent South Korea's collapse the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
voted to send military forces. The United States' Seventh Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
dispatched Task Force 77, led by the fleet carrier
Fleet carrier
A fleet carrier is an aircraft carrier that is designed to operate with the main fleet of a nation's navy. The term was developed during the Second World War, to distinguish it from the escort carrier and other lesser types...
USS Valley Forge
USS Valley Forge (CV-45)
USS Valley Forge was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the first US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for Valley Forge, the 1777–1778 winter encampment of General George Washington's Continental Army...
; the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Far East Fleet dispatched several ships, including HMS Triumph
HMS Triumph (R16)
HMS Triumph was a Royal Navy Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier. She served in the Korean War and later, after reconstruction, as a support ship.-Construction and commission:...
, to provide air and naval support. Although the navies blockaded North Korea and launched aircraft to delay the North Korean forces these efforts alone did not stop the North Korean Army juggernaut on its southern advance. U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
ordered ground troops into the country to supplement the air support. All US Navy units, including the Leyte were placed on alert. At the time, the ship was in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and Brown did not expect to be deployed to Korea, but on August 8 a relief carrier arrived in the area and the Leyte ordered to Korea. Commanders felt the pilots on the carrier were better trained, and so needed in the theatre. The ship sailed from the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and to Quinoset, them through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
before arriving in Korea around October 8.
The Leyte was eventually ordered to Korea, arriving in October 1950. The ship joined Task Force 77
Task Force 77
Task Force 77 has been the aircraft carrier battle/strike force of the Seventh Fleet in the United States Navy since the Seventh Fleet was formed....
off the northeast coast of the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
, part of a fleet of 17 ships from the US Seventh Fleet, including the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Philippine Sea
USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)
USS Philippine Sea was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the first US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea. Philippine Sea was commissioned in May 1946, too late to serve in World War II...
, battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
and cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
USS Juneau
USS Juneau (CL-119)
The second USS Juneau was the lead ship of the United States Navy Juneau-class light cruiser laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey on 15 September 1944; launched on 15 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. B. L. Bartlett; and commissioned 15 February 1946, Captain...
. Brown flew 20 missions in-country. These missions included attacks on communication lines, troop concentrations and military installations around Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
, Chongpu, Songjim and Senanju.
Following the entrance of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
into the war in late November 1950, Brown and his squadron were dispatched to the Chosin Reservoir, where an intense campaign
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Changjin Lake Campaign ,Official Chinese sources refer to this battle as the Second Phase Campaign Eastern Sector . The Western Sector is the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River. was a decisive battle in the Korean War...
was being fought between the People's Volunteer Army
People's Volunteer Army
The Chinese People's Volunteer Army was the armed forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army belonged to the People's Liberation Army , the People's Volunteer Army was separately constituted in order to...
and the US X Corps. Almost 100,000 Chinese troops had surrounded 15,000 US troops, and Brown and other pilots on the Leyte were flying dozens of close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
missions every day to prevent the Chinese from overrunning the US troops.
Death
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Dick Cevoli, Lieutenant George Hudson, Lieutenant Junior Grade Bill Koenig, Ensign Ralph McQueen, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas J. Hudner, Jr.
Thomas J. Hudner, Jr.
Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr. is a retired officer of the United States Navy and a former naval aviator. Hudner 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...
, who was Brown's wingman
Wingman
A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
. During this flight, Brown had the call sign "Iroquois 13." The flight traveled 100 miles (160.9 km) from the Task Force's location to the Chosin Reservoir, flying 35 to 40 minutes through very harsh wintery weather to the vicinity of villages Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri. The flight began searching for targets along the west side of the reservoir, lowering their altitude to 700 feet (213.4 m) in the process. The mission was a three-hour search and destroy
Search and destroy
Search and Destroy, Seek and Destroy, or even simply S&D, refers to a military strategy that became a notorious component of the Vietnam War. The idea was to insert ground forces into hostile territory, search out the enemy, destroy them, and withdraw immediately afterward...
flight as well as an attempt to probe Chinese troop strength in the area.
Though the flight spotted no Chinese, at 14:40 Koenig radioed to Brown that he appeared to training fuel. The damage had likely come by small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire from Chinese infantry, who were known to hide in the snow and ambush passing aircraft by firing in unison. At least one bullet had ruptured a fuel line. Brown, losing fuel pressure and increasingly unable to control the aircraft, dropped his external fuel tanks and rockets and attempted to land the craft in a snow-covered clearing on the side of a mountain. Brown crashed into a bowl-shaped valley at approximately 40°36′N 127°06′E. The aircraft broke up violently upon impact and was destroyed. In the crash, Brown's leg was pinned beneath the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
of the aircraft, and he stripped off his helmet and gloves in an attempt to free himself, before waving to the other pilots, who were circling close overhead. The other pilots had thought he had died in the crash. Brown had crash landed near Somong-ni, 15 miles (24.1 km) behind Chinese lines in 15-degree weather, and the other pilots began a Mayday
Mayday
Mayday is a distress signalMayday or May Day may also refer to:* May Day, a holiday on or around May 1** International Workers' Day* Mayday, Colorado- Music :* Mayday , an electronic music festival* Mayday...
radio to any heavy transport aircraft in the area as they canvassed the mountain for any sign of Chinese ground forces who may threaten Brown. They received a signal that a rescue helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
would come as soon as possible, but Brown's aircraft was smoking and a fire had started near its internal fuel tanks.
Hudner attempted in vain to rescue Brown, before intentionally crash landing
Crash Landing
"Crash Landing" is the only single by Route 1. The single features ex-Atomic Kitten member, Jenny Frost. "Crash Landing" is commonly, yet mistakenly, referred to as a single by Jenny Frost featuring Route 1 because the CD cover features only her with her name in a larger font.-Charts:...
his vehicle to attempt to pull Brown from the burning wreck before running to Brown's side and attempting to wrestle him free from the wreck. With Brown's condition worsening by the minute, Hudner attempted to drown the aircraft fire in snow, and pull Brown from the aircraft, all in vain, and Brown began slipping in and out of consciousness. Brown, in spite of being in great pain, did not complain to Hudner. A rescue helicopter arrived around 15:00, and Hudner and its pilot, Lieutenant Charled Ward were unable to put out the engine fire with a fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
and tried in vain to free Brown with an axe for 45 minutes. They even considered, at Brown's request, amputating his trapped leg. Brown lost consciousness shortly thereafter. His last known words, which he told Hudner, were "Tell Daisy I love her." The helicopter, which was unable to operate in the darkness, was forced to leave at nightfall with Hudner, leaving Brown behind. Brown is believed to have died shortly thereafter of his injuries and exposure to the extreme cold. No Chinese forces threatened the site, likely thanks to heavy air presence of Brown and Hudner's unit.
Hudner begged superiors to allow him to return to the wreck to help extract Brown, but he was not allowed, as other officers feared an ambush of the vulnerable helicopters resulting in casualties. In order to prevent the body and the aircraft from falling into Chinese or North Korean hands, the US Navy bombed the aircraft with napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
two days later, reportedly reciting the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
over the radio as they watched Brown's body consumed by flames. The pilots observed his body looked to have been disturbed and his clothes stolen, but still stuck in the aircraft. The remains of both Brown and the aircraft were never recovered. Brown was the first US Navy officer killed in the war.
Legacy
For his actions in Korea leading up to his death, Brown was awarded the Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
. For the failed rescue attempt, Hudner received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, the highest valor award presented by the US military.
Brown's shipmates memorialized him in a shipwide newspaper as "a Christian soldier, a gentleman, a shipmate and friend ... His courage and faith ... shone like a beacon for all to see." As word of his death spread, Hudner was known to have inspired numerous other African Americans to become pilots, notably Seaman Apprentice Frank E. Petersen
Frank E. Petersen
Frank E. Petersen Jr. is a retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General. He was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general....
, who later said news of Brown's death resolved him to become a pilot himself. Petersen would become the first African American Marine Corps aviator and the first African American Marine Corps General, graduating from the Naval Aviation Training Program in 1952 and retiring from the military after 38 years in 1988 with the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
.
On February 17, 1973, the Navy commissioned the Knox-class frigate
Knox class frigate
Knox class frigates were United States Navy warships, originally laid down as ocean escorts , but were all redesignated as frigates on 30 June 1975 in the USN 1975 ship reclassification and their hull designation changed from DE to FF.A sub-class of the Knox class was built, commonly referred to as...
USS Jesse L. Brown (DE-1089), the first US Ship named in honor of an African American. Present at the commissioning ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts were Daisy Brown Thorne, who had remarried, Pamela Brown, and Hudner, who gave a dedication. The ship was decommissioned on July 27, 1994 and sold to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
An extensive biography of Brown was later compiled by author Theodore Taylor
Theodore Taylor (author)
Theodore Taylor was an American author of more than 50 fiction and non-fiction books for young adult readers, including The Cay, The Weirdo , Ice Drift, Timothy of the Cay, The Bomb, Sniper, and Rogue...
, who had also served in Korea at the time of Brown's death, which he said moved him greatly. Taylor interviewed many of Brown's closest friends and family and consulted records from the Leytes ship log to Daisy Brown's personal diary in his 300-page book which was published in 2007.
Awards and decorations
Brown's military decorations included the following medals: |
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| Naval Aviator Badge United States Aviator Badge A United States Aviator Badge refers to three types of aviation badges issued by the United States military, those being for Army, Air Force, and Naval aviation.... |
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| Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The... |
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| Air Medal Air Medal The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:... |
Purple Heart Medal | Combat Action Ribbon Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or... |
National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower... |
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| Korean Service Medal Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal is an award of the United States military and was created in November 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary United States medal for participation in the Korean War and is awarded to any U.S. service member, who... |
Korean Presidential Unit Citation Presidential Unit Citation (Korea) The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is issued by the government of South Korea to both Korean military and foreign units. The last major issuance of the decoration was during the Korean War when the decoration was bestowed to several U.S., U.K., and Commonwealth military units... |
United Nations Korea Medal | Korean War Service Medal Korean War Service Medal The Korean War Service Medal is a decoration of South Korea which was first authorized in December 1950... In 2000 this award was made retroactive to all US military who served in the Korean War. |
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