Hudner grew up on Florence Street, the son of a grocer. After graduating from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, Hudner joined the Navy as a lieutenant, (junior grade), and became a Navy pilot. He was attached to the USS Leyte during the Korean War.
Fall River native and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Thomas Hudner will soon be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
Gov. Charlie Baker was among those in attendance Monday morning as Hudner's remains were placed on a plane in Massachusetts for delivery to Virginia.
"Few possess the bravery, determination & character that Capt. Hudner displayed throughout his lifetime & I'm lucky to have worked alongside him," Baker tweeted.
This morning, the remains of Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. left Massachusetts for@ArlingtonNatl. Few possess the bravery, determination & character that Capt. Hudner displayed throughout his lifetime & I'm lucky to have worked alongside him. Honored to join his family at Logan.pic.twitter.com/cIeELnhz4n
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor)April 2, 2018According to reports, Hudner's burial is scheduled for Wednesday.
Hudner grew up on Florence Street, the son of a grocer. After graduating from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, Hudner joined the Navy as a lieutenant, (junior grade), and became a Navy pilot. He was attached to the USS Leyte during the Korean War.
It was while supporting United States troops at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir on Dec. 4. 1950, that Hudner performed the heroic act that would lead to his honors. It was the first Medal of Honor given to a Navy man in that conflict.
He made a pass, firing at North Korean troops, when he saw his wingman, Ensign Jesse Brown, take a hit and crash on a mountaintop. Brown was the first African-American naval officer to lose his life in any American war, and the first African-American naval pilot.
Hudner made a wheels up landing on 18 inches of snow and tried, without success, to pry Brown from the burning plane.
Charles Ward, a helicopter pilot, joined Hudner and together they tried to free Brown until after Brown died. They took off as darkness fell.
Hudner died on Nov. 13 in Concord at the age of 93.
Remembering Thomas Hudner