A new Hollywood war epic is debuting in theaters this week about two naval aviators, one of whom has a connection to a Maine shipyard.
“Devotion” tells the story of Jesse Brown, the first African-American naval aviator, and his friendship with fellow aviator Thomas Hudner, who risked his life to try to save Brown during the Korean War in 1950.
A destroyer built at Bath Iron Works and launched five years ago bears Hudner’s name.
Shipyard spokesman David Hench said this week that the Secretary of the Navy determines the names of new vessels, and noted vessels often bear the names of war heroes and Medal of Honor recipients, such as John Basilone, Harvey C. Barnum Jr. and Daniel Inouye.
According to biographical information provided by the shipyard, both Brown and Hudner came from vastly different backgrounds.
Brown was the son of Mississippi sharecroppers who joined the Navy to help pay for college. Hudner grew up in Fall River, Mass., the son of a wealthy businessman.
The two became friends soon after completing their flight training and meeting at Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
They were assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Leyte in 1950, and sent to Korea, flying Vought F4U Corsair planes as part of the VF-32 fighter group.
Hudner and Brown were flying with the group on Dec. 4, 1950, during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. VF-32 provided air support to allied troops retreating from a surge of 300,000 Chinese troops from the north.
Brown’s plane was damaged by ground fire and he crash-landed on a hillside. Even from the air his fellow pilots could see he was alive, but trapped in his plane. Records show Hudner deliberately crash-landed his own plane nearby so he could get to Brown.
Ultimately, Hudner was unable to save Brown’s life, but his actions did not go unnoticed. He would eventually receive the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman.
Brown was honored when the Knox-class frigate USS Jesse L. Brown was commissioned in 1973, with Hudner in attendance.
Hudner retired from the Navy in 1973.
In April 2017, at the age of 92, he attended the christening of what would become the USS Thomas Hudner.
“It is rare and special to have a living namesake for a ship present for its christening,” naval officials wrote at the time. “This is the first Bath Iron Works destroyer christened after a living namesake since the USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG108) was christened Oct. 18, 2008.”
Hudner died in November 2017 at the age of 93.
An Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Thomas Hudner is homeported in Mayport, Florida.
On Nov. 4, USS Hudner’s Facebook page posted: “The crew of USS THOMAS HUDNER is excited for the premier of Devotion, the movie showcasing LTJG Hudner and ENS Brown’s awe inspiring story.”
The post included a video of crew members narrating the story of Hudner and Brown.
