PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) — Celebrate Black History Month by visiting the “Corsair: Korean War Heroism” exhibit at the EAA Aviation Museum.
The exhibit commemorates the lives of Jesse Brown, the U.S. Navy’s first black naval aviator, and Thomas Hudner.
“It details the journey of those two men in the same unit, they were wingmen, and Jesse Brown’s fight through prejudice,” said Dick Knapinski, a spokesperson for EAA. “And also, Thomas Hudner’s events that lead to him receiving the Medal of Honor in an attempt to rescue Brown during one of their combat flights.”
In December of 1950, Hudner crash-landed his Corsair behind enemy lines to try to save Brown after his Corsair was struck by Chinese ground fire and crashed. However, Brown succumbed to his injuries. Hudner’s corsair was then replaced with a new one, which is now at the EAA Aviation Museum.
“It’s the centerpiece of this display because it was flown by Thomas Hudner after he returned from Korea,” said Knapinski. “His next assignment was in the Mediterranean, and he flew that airplane that we have on display.”
This exhibit first opened at the museum in 2022. The EAA Aviation Museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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