American Valor Quarterly Issue 2 - Spring 2008 | Page 22

Valor at Chosin
The Story of Thomas Hudner and Jesse Brown
The American Veterans Center’s 10th Annual Conference included a panel
devoted to America’s “Forgotten War”—Korea—on November 10, 2007.
Included in the panel was Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., whose incredible
story of heroism is among the greatest of the war. Hudner was awarded the
Medal of Honor for his actions in the attempted rescue of Jesse Brown, his
friend and fellow aviator whose plane had crashed during the Battle of Chosin
Reservoir. We were honored to have Capt. Hudner tell his story at the
conference, and are proud to share his remarks below.

probably a signal to the North Koreans that if they wanted to
take over South Korea, they could do so without worrying about
the United States.

Now, if my history is correct, the dictator of North Korea, Kim
Il-Sung, wanted to take over the South, but checked with the
Chinese first to see if they would give him support. Mao Zedong,
the Chinese premier, assented, but in such a way that the North
could not ^X