Jesse Brown and Thomas Hudner: A Tale of Two Pilots 

Thanks for another amazing episode. And for maintaining your excellent standard for accuracy.

I thought it sounded rather like a lot. ;) But great episode.

War thunder references

The F4U really would have been a killer with 6x50's and 4x20mm! More than a P38 or a Mosquito! Your story was very moving and while there is doubt about some Americans currently, there is no doubt about at least two of you. Tom Hudner was a 'proper' American and props to the US Navy for recognising both him and Jesse Brown. As an aside, I believe the Royal Navy also operated F4U's in Korea and that - in WWII - it was they who 'reminded' the US Navy the Corsair was designed as a Carrier aircraft? It had a terrible reputation as a 'widow maker' on carrier approaches, because of the torque reaction on that huge propeller and the USN had stopped using it aboard ship. Until the RN showed them that if you made continuously curving approaches, deck landings became routine. Great aeroplane and great story, thanks HG.

I've heard this story before and it always brings a tear to the eye the love of one service member for his comrades has brought more men back from combat than anything else imaginable

A great story.

What aircraft did you fly? And I agree , great story!

@@charlesdudek7713 Never flew. Maintained patrol/transport aircraft.

Thank you for sharing. And thank you for your service.

@Timothy McCaskey Yes! And he was known to 'top hat'. (first american in space if you don't count the X-15 test pilots.)

I would thumbs up this comment 10X if I could.

You made the comment I was going to make. I laughed and I cried.

@@CEH3 *10

Very touching. For so many reasons.

yeah, where did those onions come from?

It is really good you were there for that brave man. Well done Christopher.

@@josephking6515 Thanks, I was in the Navy and I believe he felt safe talking to me. He told me all the VA would do for him is drug him 'stupid'. All he wanted to do was talk and have a friendly ear to listen. He had survivors guilt as I learned about in later life. We originally met in church when I first moved here 30 years ago. He passed away around about 2000.

Bless you for doing what you could for that vet. Many want to do the right thing, but let stuff get in the way. When an opportunity to be of some help, is presented, you just have to man up and do it. Be proud.

I met a Korean War vet in Ohio, back in 1982. He had been a POW & suffered frost-bite during his captivity. Whenever the temperature would start to drop, his hands would hurt him badly. I remember him rubbing his hands, trying to get the blood circulating, even though it really wasn't especially cold.

I read a similar story from a Norwegian veteran who fought around Narvik in 1940. He spent weeks in the snow wet and cold, and ever since he could not have cold feet. He would wear one or two pairs of wool socks year round including to bed.

Right on

OK, I can appreciate those words... but just imagine - those 'souls' ere still alive after all that Hell, here on Earth, to work with us, to raise new generations...

@@fidziek they were still "such men" and they still lived

Patton was a total reactionary blowhard

@@DawnOfTheDead991 a total reactionary blowhard who did and felt more for his men and country than you will ever know how to... I will take the opinion of the men he led over yours any day

And thank you, Dragon’s Breath, for your service. We are grateful to you, too.

Thank you for your Service Sir 🙏 Dragon 🐉 Breathe... you are part of the Chosen Few....

I'm a 30 year retired Marine and I join you Dragons Breath. Teufelshund

Semper Fi you are properly relived of duty Marine!!!!

Thank you for your service ❤

North Korea uses the extreme cold, hardships, to maintain a relatively low population..

Bo’ness

I read a story about a unit trying to withdraw across a makeshift bridge at Chosin. The bridge came up three feet short. The men looked around and found a pile of dead North Korean soldiers, all frozen solid. So they bulldozed them into the gap and got the hell out of there. Incidentally my dad was in the Air Force in Korea but did not see action at Chosin.

I spent a year in South Korea in the early 1980s. It is still the coldest winter I have spent.

I had a patient Korean war vet tell me, "nothing colder than a Korean winter". He was in an Engineer Unit and he was low man in his tent. They used stoves to heat the tents and when the gas went out he had to go out and change the bottle.

At Carolina Patriot "Than to lay down his life .....

I have to imagine Hudner would have died if doing so could have saved his friend. I even imagine he probably felt some survivor's guilt despite doing everything he possibly could.

Quote from the Gospel of John chapter 15 verse 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I am woke enough to be reluctant to sacrifice my life, even for a friend, but to risk it, to put it on the line, yes I willingly would. But I sincerely hope that, that test will not be put on my path, in fear of failing.

@@roleymarx3811 I've always felt that passage was wrong. IMHO, it should read "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a stranger." How many police, firefighters and military personnel have done just that? I would willingly give my life to protect those I care about, but I'm not sure I would have the courage to die protecting someone I didn't even know. Love for an individual or love for humanity. Which is really greater?

Yep, I sure am. Dang.

NOOOO! I'M NOT!! I'm just almost crying.

I am. And not ashamed of it either!

@Oxnate I hadn't seen your comment when I wrote exactly the same thing. I suppose that means neither of us are crying....must be someone else.

Ninjas are cutting onions at my place.

سورة البقرة

Yes, and stories like this bring a tear to my eyes. Especially when well told.

@bsharrard Well said and so true!

@bsharrard depends on the individual, we are not all meant nor able to walk the same path . Some sports figures make great heros teaching youth by example . For to keep on trying and to not give up are common themes of those you consider 'heros'. Working against the odds whether it is war , the world series or civil rights is admirable. I am 54 years old and have played guitar since before I was 5 being lucky enough to have an uncle who owned a music store so a lot of my hero's are musicians , some rich and famous and some poor and unheard of . So does that mean I have chosen poor 'heros' just because they didn't commit some heroic act during a war or social skirmish . Keep in mind they taught me to succeed I had to practice , adapt and experiment to find my way to success. They taught me it wouldn't be handed to me but rather through hard work and practice (which is extremely repetitious and often boring) I would gain the tools needed to succeed in my vocation or craft . None of them ever committed any wartime 'heroic' deeds I am aware of but they found their way to the top of their fields by expertise in their field that they accrued through years of hard work . And you would not consider them heros? Even though they taught me the road and the work ethic necessary to get to where I am blessed enough to spend my life and support my family by doing something I love ? Not everyone was meant to be a war hero . Some are destined to be great at sports or acting and you will begrudge them those they idolized and those who consider them heros ? Just because they don't achieve the metric YOU consider to be the definition of a hero seems a little narrow minded and short sighted to me . At the end of the day will you say it was wrong of Beethoven to consider Mozart a hero ? Because Mozart never did anything that meets your definition of being deserving of the title hero you would rob the world of Beethoven. Good thing you don't make the rules because I, and millions of others, really enjoy Beethoven . "Free your mind and the rest will follow" . I wish you well and hope your horizons continue to expand and never stop growing . Acceptance is learning and learning is growth and growth is life but to stop learning & growing is stagnation and stagnation is death, my friend. Please do not stagnate and fade into obscurity , but rather caaaaaontinue expanding until you find your purpose once you find your purpose then you will have found your bliss and that is when you know you have found your place.... Or this is all a bunch of bullshit meant to sound meaningful and deep going to be your assessment ? If so then good luck and go in peace ..... "Moss doesn't grow on a rolling stone". Oh and by the way, I to am an Ohio State Buckeye (and proud of it !!) and this story is known by all O.S.U Graduates. Unless they paid no attention . Great institution. GO BUCKS !!! O-H-I-O !!!

Check my new comment; my dad was a sailor about the USS LEYTE when this happened. :- )

Chosin

Thanks for the info will definitely look it up at the library sounds like a good read really appreciate

Thanks for posting this. Will try to find a copy.

I listened to the audio version of "Devotion", and it was indeed a very moving experience, highly recommended. A movie is in the works, produced by Black Label Media, starring Glen Powell from Top Gun Maverick...

Yes a great read!! I read it a few months ago and passed the book on to a navy buddy at the VA Hospital. I strongly recommend this book

Read that book two years ago. Couldn't put it down and have passed it around to friends and family. Great book and full of many lessons.

Amen, brother, as a retired AF Vet I share the same thoughts!! R.I.P Esign Jessie Brown

Rah!

"Forgotten war remembered heroes" check it out it's on yt

@@joedunleavy7066 I'll do that. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Sir💪🇺🇸🦅⚓

Read the book by Adam Makos and each the movie coming soon.

Agreed we need movies like this instead of the SJW BS we see today.

Could not agree with you more sir have a great day!

P51D MUSTANG strangely perhaps, I don’t think the movie would be politically correct.

@@9879SigmundS You are probably right, if a SJW made the move because it would spend to much time focusing on everything that is wrong and not on one mans will and determination to succeed or the bonds that transcend race.

Need to get Mel Gibson to make it. He does not pander to the SJW's whatsoever, and he did an awesome job with Hacksaw Ridge.

race/sex/etc are political tools used to put wedges between people for easy political enslavement of the population.

Or just well placed propaganda move to impress civilians and lure more guys into war

@@xmeda Propaganda? This actually occurred. Did it make you want to join up... no, I didn't think so. Your juvenile cynicism is neither earned nor justified.

@@emansnas it happened, and it got wide media coverage how white guy tried to heroically save his black friend... while back in US black guys were not even allowed to sit on front seats in bus or cinema...

@@xmeda Everyone knows there was discrimination at the time. Conflating that with a propaganda effort to "...lure more guys into war" is fatuous.

No

'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them.' For The Fallen - Laurence Binyon (w/apologies from failing memory. partsheimer's.) Humanity at its finest, when society's at its least....

I wasn't expecting this to be a tear jerker. But it sure was

Wow so amazing. Why have we not heard this story before. How many other acts of unselfish actions need to be told. Especially now.

Yeah, wasn't expecting it. Would love to see a good movie based on this. Too bad they don't know how to make a good movie about war anymore.

Duke Craig He deserves to have you state his name, yes?

@@thomaswest5931 His first name is Bill (most likely William I'm sure), the way I met him is I'm from SW Pennsylvania but I lived in the Cleveland area for 11 years, (just moved back last year), he's the stepfather of the wife of a couple I got to know when I lived up there, I had no clue, and neither did his stepdaughter or her husband, that he was a MOH recepiant until we all saw each other at someone's funeral, it's kind of a story about why he had kinda latched onto me several years earlier after I had met him, but upon seeing me at the funeral home he came running over and was saying hi and shaking my hand when I noticed a little light blue service ribbon with silver stars on it on his lapel (the small civilian size one), while I was shaking his hand I pointed at the ribbon with my other one and ask "Is that a...?" and he cut me off and said "Yea", at that point I had known he was one of the 3 surviving Corpsmen from Chosin but I had no clue he was a MOH recepiant but it didn't exactly come as a surprise knowing his story. Neither me nor his stepdaughter or her husband knew anything about that up to that point, 2 days after the funeral I was over at their house and mentioned to them "Do you know what that little ribbon is that he wears on his lapel when he's dressed up?", they didn't so i explained it to them. Several days later they called me up and said they had ask him about it and that he had admitted to them that he was a MOH recepiant but didn't go around talking about it, she had been his stepdaughter for something like 20 years at this point and her husband had been married to her for at least 10 years at this point but they had never known about it until then.

@@dukecraig2402, most of the men that receive honors like that rarely talk about it. I had an uncle that stepped up and helped raise me after my father died when I was nine. I knew he served in the Army in Vietnam, but I didn't know he'd been awarded a Bronze Star for Gallantry while serving there. He passed in 2011 and I was devastated. I didn't find out about the Bronze Star until the day of his funeral.

@@martyyoung3611 Here's a funny story about him, after I got to know him and whenever he'd see me he was always real cheery and would chat me up, so one day his stepdaughter called me and ask me "Hey, how about if I give you Bill's number you call him up sometimes and hang out with him or go places with him, he seems to like you a lot and since my mother passed away he's been kind of bored and lonely", so I said "Sure, no problem, I like being around him a lot too, give me his number and go ahead and give him mine". So one weekend when I knew I was going back to Pa to see my mother I figured I'd get my M1 Garand out of my safe and take it back up there with me and see if Bill wanted to go out shooting it because I knew from talking to him that he liked shooting, so after I get back up there I gave him a call one day and told him I'd brought my M1 back up there and ask him if he'd like to go out and shoot it with me, he said "Naw, I only like shooting those if there's a Chinamen or North Korean on the other end of it.", I about dropped the phone.

Our Corpsmen were some of, if not, the bravest men on the battlefield, IMO! Countless Marines owe their lives to the Navy Corpsmen that served along side them. I would also put helicopter pilots in the same category. TreeTop USMC 1968-72

Absolutely.

What "existing prejudices", black people have been pampered for over 50 years. What planet are you living on?

@ as a very conservative white man even if you think this it is not helpful to anyone.

​@ Have you ever asked what it is like to be a person of color in America ???

fifty years where the hell have you been living ?

The current movie "Devotion" is about this exact story, in case you didn't know about that. I plan to see it this weekend.

@@INOD-2 I saw the movie three weeks ago and I was very impressed by it. I plan to own it later when it becomes available.

You've got nothing to be ashamed of as the story, current movie notwithstanding, was not widely told. My father was a Skyraider pilot and had been a Hellcat pilot in World War II

em1o smurf What was your father's full name?

Nobody named Crowe has ever been Commandant of the Marine Corps.

God Bless your Dad.

@@RCAvhstape True, but Russel Crowe will probably get the role when they make the movie. BTW Anyone else getting tired of all the wannabe "my father/uncle/brother/grandfather was there" BS ?

@@ardshielcomplex8917 Not me. These folks are better people for having been involved with the survivors of war.

Hopefully they closely follow the book of the same name and don’t make it too hollywood

@@brokenwrench404 It was a great movie! Give it a watch!

OK boomer

I urge you to wake up and realize that members of the “younger generation” have been fighting and dying in this country’s wars for the last 20 years and that more sign up every day to serve in a conflict that started before they were born.

okie1011 and Colin Paterson, sacrifices have been made by all the generations in between. For them, I am grateful.

@@okie1011 I will add to that, it was all done with no fullfillment of purpose, no reward of continued peace and nothing to look forward to but the ravages of mental disorders, unemployment, homelessness, and drug addiction. If it were not for our modern medical skill the casualties of the various undeclared wars in the past decades would easily be comparable with or perhaps exceed that of Vietnam.

@@dats3 You can fuck right off. I was 22 the first time I went to Iraq and now my son is old enough to go to the same war your generation keeps stoking. Young people today keep signing up to fight your war voluntarily, unlike the draftees of your generation. People aren't asking for a living, they're just observing that in the richest country in all of known history you shouldn't go bankrupt because you got cancer. They're observing that if the minimum wage you got as a summer job kept pace with inflation it would be over $20/hr. That's not asking for a handout, that's realizing that if you have more than enough, you build a longer table, not a higher fence. Don't worry if you fall off your high horse, the young people that have been cleaning your messes for 20 years will scrape your sorry ass off the ground too.

Thank you for your service!

Was there with VF-41......something in common Baby!

There is book about it Devotion by Adam Makos

Netflix is to busy making movies about perverted gender confused wokeTARDs.

@@nunya7042 🤣

Robert Deen that's a bullshit story.

Thank you for your service.

Yeah, me too...

❤

My eyes are watering and my nose running. This was poignant, and very bittersweet.