Medal of Honor recipient to headline Heritage of Freedom event Jan. 23

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gilmartin
  • 66 ABW Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Thomas J. Hudner, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, will headline the second Heritage of Freedom Speaker Series Jan. 23 at 4 p.m. in the Minuteman Club Ballroom. He will be joined by two other Hanscom members who will recount their combat deployment experiences and tie their Electronic Systems Center missions to real-time execution in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

The Heritage of Freedom Speaker Series is a free event held quarterly that features three speakers, each of whom discuss their experiences serving in combat or while deployed. Their hard-hitting 15 minute presentations are followed by short question and answer periods. The event is informal, and features free refreshments available throughout the discussions. Attendees are encouraged to remain after the addresses and talk informally with the speakers. 

Captain Hudner will recount the circumstances that led to him being awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the United States military. 

Mr. Hudner earned the Medal of Honor as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War., piloting an F4U Corsair aircraft. On Dec. 4 1950, Lieutenant Hudner crash-landed his own plane near the Chosin reservoir in an effort to rescue his wingman whose own F4U-4 Corsair had been shot down. Ensign Brown was the Navy's first African American pilot. He found Ensign Brown severely wounded and pinned in his cockpit by metal wreckage. 

His was the first Medal of Honor awarded for service in the Korean War. He continued serving in the Navy until 1973. Captain Hudner and his wife live in Concord, Mass. 

"This event is another great opportunity for all of our Airmen, both military and civilian, to share in the history and camaraderie that joins us together in service to our great country," said Col. Dave Orr, 66th Air Base Wing commander. "Our first Heritage of Freedom event brought together first-hand accounts from WWII, Vietnam, and Kosovo and was well received from the hundreds who attended. I encourage all Hanscom members to join us as we advance our Air Force culture and reinvigorate our heritage through these great warriors."