Medal of Honor Winner's Aircraft Recreated in Korean War Exhibit

Thomas Hudner, Korean War-era Medal of Honor recipient, was honored at the EAA Aviation Center with a recreation of the Corsair used in his heroics. 

The museum refinished the gull-winged Chance-Vought F4U-U to appear just as it did in 1950 during Hudner's mission to rescue Jesse Brown on the day that earned him his commendation. The plane had been a part of the EAA collection for some time, last restored in 1994 to appear as the steed of WWII ace Kenneth Walsh. When digging into the history of the plane, it was found that the Corsair was a replacement for the plane crash-landed by Hudner after his mission, later going on to log many hours and multiple carrier landings with him at the helm.

“When we discovered that our Corsair had a direct connection to a Medal of Honor recipient, it was an easy decision to restore the airplane to its Korean War markings to honor him,” said Ron Connolly, EAA Aviation Museum director. “This new exhibit also honors Jesse Brown as a naval aviator and the bond he forged with his squadron mates during that time.”

To flesh out the exhibit, members of the Hudner estate loaned personal memorabilia to the museum, helping to provide additional backdrop to the plane's career.

FMI: www.eaa.org/museum