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| USN USS Leyte CV-32 CVG-3 VF-32 "Swordsmen"  USN 1950 |
Pilot Ensign Jesse L. Brown, 504477 USNR (WIA / KIA / BRN / MIA) Hattiesburg, MS Crash Landed December 4, 1950 Aircraft History Built by Chance Vought Aircraft Division in Stratford, Connecticut. Contract number 2720. On September 11, 1945 accepted by the U.S. Navy (USN) as F4U-4 Corsair bureau number 97231. On February 4, 1946 delivered to the Navy. Assigned to USS Leyte (CV-32) to Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32) "Swordsmen". This aircraft had no known nickname or nose art. Tail letter "K" with a white tipped tail. Nose number unknown. The fuselage had a U.S. Star with red and white striped bars with "NAVY VF 32". Below the tail stabilizer was stenciled "F4U-4 NAVY 97231". Mission History On December 4, 1950 took off from the USS Leyte CV-32 piloted by Ensign Jesse L. Brown as flight leader with with wingman F4U Corsair 82050 piloted by Lt(jg) Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. on a ground attack mission over Kot'o-ri near the Chosin Reservoir. While flying in formation over the target, Brown was presumably hit by ground fire or small arms fire and reported losing oil pressure and selected a snow covered flat open area to the west of the Chosin Reservoir to make a force landing. During the force landing, Brown sustained injuries and the lower half of his body was trapped inside the cockpit preventing him from extricating himself from the aircraft. Meanwhile, wingman F4U Corsair 82050 piloted by Lt(jg) Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. witnessed his flight leader's crash landing and spontaneously decided to force land his aircraft beside Brown. Hudner waded through the snow, finding Brown trapped inside the cockpit and was unable to free him. Seeing smoke, Hudner used a fire extinguisher on the nose of his plane. Returning, Hudner spoke with Brown until he expired from his wounds and exposure. Rescue Simultaneously, a helicopter was dispatched to the site to rescue both pilots. When the helicopter arrived, Hudner used the helicopter's rescue ax in a futile attempt to cut into the aircraft's skin to free Brown's body, but was unsuccessful. The helicopter departed with Hudner, leaving Brown's body at the crash site. Wreckage Both crash landed Corsairs were reported at approximately Lat 40° 36' N Long 127° 6' E roughly ten miles north of Yudam-ni. On December 6, 1950 an F4U Corsair from VF-32 returned to the crash site and observed Brown's body still inside the cockpit of his aircraft. On December 7, 1950 F4U Corsairs from VF-32 returned to the site and dropped napalm onto both aircraft to destroy them. Fate of the Pilot Brown was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Presumably, Brown's body was destroyed by the napalm bombs dropped on December 7, 1950. Possibly, Chinese soldiers reached the site prior to the napalm strike and recovered his body or personal effects. Memorials Brown was the first African-American pilot in the U.S. Navy (USN) and the first black naval officer to lose his life in combat in the Korean War. Posthumously, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Purple Heart and Republic of Korean War Service Medal. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 8. In 1972, Knox-class frigate USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089) was named in his honor. In 2022, his name is listed on the Korean War Memorial on the wall of rememberance. Relatives John Brown (Father) Lulia A. Brown (Mother) Daisy Pearl Brown Nix Thorne (wife passed away July 6, 2014) Pamela E. Brown (daughter) References Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) - Jessie L. Brown Aircraft History Card - F4U-4 Corsair 97231 Navy Serial Number Search Results - F4U-4 Corsair 97231 U.S.S. Leyte (CV-32) 4 December 1950, page 5 "1515I an F4U4 BUNO. 97231 crash landed in Korea behind enemy lines at lat. 40 degrees 36N, long 127 degrees 06' E. Cause: Enemy anti-aircraft hits. Pilot ENS J. L. Brown, 504477, U.S. Navy, sustained severe injuries and was unable to extricate himself. LtJG T. J. Hudner, Jr., 485270, U.S. Navy, landed hit F4U4 (BuNo. 82050), wheels up, nearby and endeavored to remove Brown who was pinned in the wreckage 1600I rescue helicopter arrived. Hudner and helicopter pilot were unable to remove Brown. Ensign Brown died of injuries, his body was not recovered. Lt. Hudner was returned to friendly lines." American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Jesse Leroy Brown FindAGrave - Ens Jesse LeRoy Brown (photos) LIFE Magazine May 26, 1952 page 131 The Flight of Jesse Leroy Brown by Theodore Taylor Breaking the Color Barrier: The U.S. Naval Academy's First Black Midshipmen Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War page 519 The Naval Air War in Korea pages 84-85 Such Men As These: The Story of the Navy Pilots Who Flew the Deadly Skies Over Korea page 351-352 Valor: A Gathering of Eagles pages 158-159 The Tailhook Association page 37 Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words page 117-118 F4U Corsair Units of the Korean War page 27-28 Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950 page 343 - 344, 442, 436 Air Combat Annals, Chapter 6 Tom Hudner and Jesse Brown: Brother's Keeper The Association of Naval Aviation page 35 Navy: An Illustrated History: The U.S. Navy from 1775 to the 21st Century page 118-119 The U.S. Navy in the Korean War page 220, 240-241, 418 Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on World Events, Vol II page 74, 538 Harry Truman and Civil Rights: Moral Courage and Political Risks page 146 (MOH photo) Jet March 8, 1973 page 33 Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea (1979) page 165 The Flight of Jesse Leroy Brown (1998) by Theodore Taylor biography of Jesse Brown U.S. Marines in the Korean War (2008) page 697 Korean War POW MIA Korean War Servicemen - Ens Jesse L. Brown via Wayback Machine April 13, 2017 Valor Studios "Devotion Wingmen to the End - December 4, 1950" by Matt Hall Devotion (2015) by Adam Makos tells Thomas Hudner story and includes Jesse Brown Thanks to Thomas J. Hudner for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 29, 2023 |
 F4U-4  Photo Archive  40° 36' N 127° 6' E Approx  MIA 1 Missing |
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