Jesse L . Brown Jesse LeRoy Brown ( 13 October 1926 – 4 December 1950 ) was the first African - American aviator in the United States Navy , a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross , and the first African - American naval officer killed in the Korean War . Born in Hattiesburg , Mississippi , to an impoverished family , Brown was avidly interested in aircraft from a young age . He graduated as salutatorian of his high school , notwithstanding its racial segregation , and was later awarded a degree from The Ohio State University . Brown enlisted in the U . S . Navy in 1946 , becoming a midshipman . Brown earned his pilot wings on 21 October 1948 amid a flurry of press coverage ; in January 1949 he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the . At the outset of the Korean War , the " Leyte " was ordered to the Korean Peninsula , arriving in October 1950 . Brown , an ensign , flew 20 combat missions before his F4U Corsair aircraft came under fire and crashed on a remote mountaintop on 4 December 1950 while supporting ground troops at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir . Brown died of his wounds despite the efforts of wingman Thomas J . Hudner , Jr . , who intentionally crashed his own aircraft in a rescue attempt , for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor . Brown ' s successes in the segregated and desegregated U . S . military were memorialized in several books . The frigate was named in his honor . Biography . Early life . Jesse LeRoy Brown was born on 13 October 1926 in Hattiesburg , Mississippi . He was one of six children born to Julia Lindsey Brown , a schoolteacher , and John Brown , a grocery warehouse worker . He had four brothers , Marvin , William , Fletcher , and Lura , as well as a sister , Johnny . Brown ' s ancestry was African American , Chicksaw , and Choctaw . The family lived in a house without central heating or indoor plumbing so they relied on a fireplace for warmth . As a child , Jesse ' s brother William fell into this fireplace and was severely burned . At the beginning of the Great Depression , John Brown lost his job and relocated the family to Palmer ' s Crossing , from Hattiesburg , where he worked at a turpentine factory until he was laid off in 1938 . John Brown then moved the family to Lux , Mississippi , to be a part of a sharecropper farm . During this time , Jesse Brown shared a bed with his brothers and attended a one - room school away . His parents were very strict about school attendance and homework , and Jesse Brown walked to school every day . The Browns also were committed Baptists and Jesse , William , and Julia Brown sang in the church choir . In his spare time , Brown also worked in the fields of the farm harvesting corn and cotton . When Jesse Brown was six years old , his father took him to an air show . Brown gained an intense interest in flying from this experience , and afterward , was attracted to a dirt airfield near his home , which he visited frequently in spite of being chased away by a local mechanic . At age 13 , Brown took a job as a paperboy for the " Pittsburgh Courier " , a black press paper , and developed a desire to pilot while reading in the newspaper about African - American aviators of the time including C . Alfred Anderson , Eugine Jacques Bullard , and Bessie Coleman . He also became an avid reader of " Popular Aviation " and the " Chicago Defender " , which he later said heavily influenced his desire to fly naval aircraft . In his childhood he was described as " serious , witty , unassuming , and very intelligent . " In 1937 , he wrote a letter to U . S . President Franklin D . Roosevelt in which he complained of the injustice of African - American pilots being kept out of the U . S . Army Air Corps , to which the White House responded with a letter saying that it appreciated the viewpoint . Education . Because the schools closer to his family were of lower quality , in 1939 , Brown lived with his aunt and attended the segregated Eureka High School in Hattiesburg . He was a member of the basketball , football , and track and field teams and he was an excellent student , graduating as the salutatorian in 1944 . During this time , Brown met his future wife , Daisy Pearl Nix . Following graduation , Jesse Brown sought to enroll in a college outside of the South . His principal , Nathaniel Burger , advised he attend an all - black college , as his brother Marvin Brown had done , however , he ended up enrolling at The Ohio State University as his childhood role model , Jesse Owens , had done . Burger told Brown only seven African Americans had graduated from the school that year , but Brown nonetheless was determined to enroll , feeling he would compete well with white students . Brown took several side jobs to save money for college , including waiting tables at the Holmes Club , a saloon for white U . S . Army soldiers . In this job , Brown was frequently the target of racist verbal abuse , but nonetheless persevered , earning $ 600 to pay for college . In autumn 1944 , Brown took a segregated train to Columbus , Ohio , and began school at Ohio State . Brown moved into an on - campus boarding house at 61 East Eleventh Avenue in the primarily black neighborhood of the University District in Columbus , and majored in architectural engineering . Brown attempted several times to apply to the school ' s aviation program , but was denied because of his race . Brown joined the track and field team as well as the wrestling team , but soon dropped both for financial reasons . He took a job as a janitor at a local Lazarus department store and then was hired by the Pennsylvania Railroad to load boxcar s from 15 : 30 to midnight each day . In spite of this , he maintained top grades in his classes . Facing difficulties with his academics and the institutional segregation in the city , Brown nevertheless found most of his fellow students were friendly toward him . Brown rarely returned to Mississippi during the school year , but in the summers he worked at a dry cleaner in Hattiesburg to help pay for his classes . During his second year in college , Brown learned of the V - 5 Aviation Cadet Training Program being conducted by the U . S . Navy to commission naval aviation pilots . This program operated at 52 colleges , none of which were predominately black colleges , so only students such as Brown , who attended integrated colleges , were eligible . In spite of resistance from recruiters , Brown passed the entrance exams . Brown enlisted in the U . S . Naval Reserve on 8 July 1946 and was admitted to the aviation program , becoming a Seaman Apprentice in the U . S . Navy and a member of the school ' s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps ( NROTC ) program . A $ 50 monthly stipend allowed him to quit his jobs and complete his architectural engineering degree in 1947 . At this time , the NROTC was the normal route to a regular Naval commission , but only 14 out of more than 5 , 600 NROTC students in 1947 were black . Military career . On 15 March 1947 , Brown reported to Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview , Illinois , for Naval Flight Officer training . There , his enlistment ended 15 April and Brown reverted to the rank of midshipman , becoming the only African American in the program . Although he anticipated antagonism , he found the other cadets were generally friendly and welcoming . He found many of the black cooks and janitors hostile to him , however , possibly due to jealousy . Brown got his first flight time aboard a Stearman N2S trainer aircraft . In spite of the rigors of the initial training , Brown was encouraged by instructors and completed the first phase of training , transferring to Ottumwa Naval Air Station in Ottumwa , Iowa , for the next phase . The Ottumwa training involved intense physical fitness and technical training , which Brown completed . Thereafter , he was moved to Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola , Florida , to train in aircraft flight . In Pensacola , Brown and Nix married in secret , as Naval Cadets were not allowed to marry until their training was complete , under threat of immediate dismissal . Nix took a room in Pensacola , and the two visited one another on weekends . In spite of overt racism from at least one instructor and several classmates at this posting , Brown completed the rigorous training in August 1947 . By June 1948 , Brown had begun training for carrier - based aircraft , and hoped to fly either the F4U Corsair or F6F Hellcat , both of which were fighters . He trained in carrier takeoffs and landings aboard the light carrier , after which he was sent to Jacksonville , Florida , for final flight qualifications . On 21 October 1948 , he completed his training and was given his Naval Aviator Badge . This accomplishment was widely publicized , and Brown became known nationally . The Associated Press profiled him and his photograph appeared in " Life " magazine . Author Theodore Taylor later wrote that through Brown ' s efforts to become a pilot , he had broken the " color barrier " which had been longstanding and preventing blacks in naval aviation . Brown was commissioned as an ensign in the U . S . Navy on 26 April 1949 . He was assigned to Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Quonset , Rhode Island , as a part of the U . S . Atlantic Fleet . Brown reported that incidents of racism and discrimination , which had been harsh late in his training , were substantially relieved once he became an officer . Following his commissioning , Brown was assigned to temporary duty at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Norfolk , Virginia . His daughter , Pamela Elise Brown , was born in December . In January 1949 , Brown was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the . Over the next 18 months , the unit conducted numerous training exercises along the East Coast , many of them taking place at Quonset Point . Brown reported here his superiors treated him fairly and held others to equal standards . The unit trained rigorously in aircraft maneuvers . By the outbreak of the Korean War , he had gained a reputation among the others in the squadron as an experienced pilot and a capable section leader . He was well - liked among other pilots and the black stewards and support staff of the carrier . Brown did not socialize much with the other pilots , however , and was known to spend as much time as possible visiting his wife . He was able to reveal his marriage following his commissioning . Korean War . On the night of 25 June 1950 , ten divisions of the North Korean People ' s Army launched a full - scale invasion of the nation ' s neighbor to the south , the Republic of Korea . The force of 89 , 000 men moved in six columns , catching the Republic of Korea Army by surprise , resulting in a rout . The smaller South Korean army suffered from widespread lack of organization and equipment , and was unprepared for war . The numerically superior North Korean forces destroyed isolated resistance from the 38 , 000 South Korean soldiers on the front before it began moving steadily south . Most of South Korea ' s forces retreated in the face of the invasion . The North Koreans were well on their way to South Korea ' s capital of Seoul within hours , forcing the government and its shattered army to retreat farther south . To prevent South Korea ' s collapse the United Nations Security Council voted to send military forces . The United States Seventh Fleet dispatched Task Force 77 , led by the fleet carrier ; the British Far East Fleet dispatched several ships , including , to provide air and naval support . Although the navies blockaded North Korea and launched aircraft to delay the North Korean forces , these efforts alone did not stop the North Korean Army juggernaut on its southern advance . U . S . President Harry S . Truman ordered ground troops into the country to supplement the air support . All U . S . Navy units , including the " Leyte " , were placed on alert . At the time , the ship was in the Mediterranean Sea and Brown did not expect to be deployed to Korea , but on 8 August a relief carrier arrived in the area and the " Leyte " was ordered to Korea . Commanders felt the pilots on the carrier were better trained , and hence needed in the theater . The ship sailed from the Strait of Gibraltar across the Atlantic Ocean and to Quonset , then through the Panama Canal and to San Diego , California , Hawaii , and Japan before arriving in Korea around 8 October . The ship joined Task Force 77 off the northeast coast of the Korean Peninsula , part of a fleet of 17 ships from the Seventh Fleet , including the aircraft carrier , battleship and cruiser . Brown flew 20 missions in - country . These missions included attacks on communication lines , troop concentrations , and military installations around Wonsan , Chongpu , Songjim , and Senanju . Following the entrance of the People ' s Republic of China into the war in late November 1950 , Brown and his squadron were dispatched to the Chosin Reservoir , where an intense campaign was being fought between the People ' s Volunteer Army and the US X Corps . Approximately 100 , 000 Chinese troops had surrounded 15 , 000 U . S . troops , and Brown and other pilots on the " Leyte " flew dozens of close air support missions every day to prevent the Chinese from overrunning the U . S . troops . Death . On 4 December 1950 , Brown was part of a six - aircraft flight supporting U . S . Marine Corps ground troops who were trapped by Chinese forces . At 13 : 38 KST , Brown took off from the " Leyte " with squadron executive officer Lieutenant Commander Dick Cevoli , Lieutenant George Hudson , Lieutenant Junior Grade Bill Koenig , Ensign Ralph McQueen , and Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas J . Hudner , Jr . , who was Brown ' s wingman . During this flight , Brown had the call sign " Iroquois 13 " . The flight traveled from the Task Force ' s location to the Chosin Reservoir , flying 35 to 40 minutes through very harsh wintery conditions to the vicinity of the villages of Yudam - ni and Hagaru - ri . The flight began searching for targets along the west side of the reservoir , decreasing their altitude to . The mission was a three - hour search and destroy flight as well as an attempt to probe Chinese troop strength in the area . Although the flight spotted no Chinese , at 14 : 40 Koenig radioed that Brown appeared to be trailing fuel . The damage had likely come by small arms fire from Chinese infantry , who were known to hide in the snow and to ambush passing aircraft by firing in unison . At least one bullet had ruptured a fuel line . Brown , losing fuel pressure and increasingly unable to control the aircraft , dropped his external fuel tanks and rockets and attempted to land the craft in a snow - covered clearing on the side of a mountain . Brown crashed into a bowl - shaped valley at approximately . The aircraft broke up violently upon impact and was destroyed . In the crash , Brown ' s leg was pinned beneath the fuselage of the aircraft , and he stripped off his helmet and gloves in an attempt to free himself , before waving to the other pilots , who were circling close overhead . The other pilots had thought he had died in the crash . Brown had crash - landed near Somong - ni , behind Chinese lines in weather , and the other pilots began a Mayday radio to any heavy transport aircraft in the area as they canvassed the mountain for any sign of Chinese ground forces who might threaten Brown . They received a signal that a rescue helicopter would come as soon as possible , but Brown ' s aircraft was smoking and a fire had started near its internal fuel tanks . Before it became clear Brown was seriously injured , Hudner attempted in vain to rescue Brown by radioing him instructions for escaping his damaged aircraft . Hudner then intentionally crash - landed his aircraft , ran to Brown ' s side and attempted to wrestle him free from the wreck . While Brown ' s condition worsened by the minute , Hudner attempted in vain to put out the aircraft fire using snow and to pull Brown from the aircraft . In great pain , Brown began slipping in and out of consciousness . A rescue helicopter arrived around 15 : 00 ; its pilot Lieutenant Charles Ward and Hudner were unable to put out the engine fire with a fire extinguisher , and tried unsuccessfully to free Brown with an axe for 45 minutes . They even considered , at Brown ' s request , amputating his trapped leg . Brown lost consciousness shortly thereafter . His last known words to Hudner were , " Tell Daisy I love her . " The helicopter , which was unable to operate in the darkness , was forced to return to base at nightfall with Hudner , leaving Brown behind . Brown is believed to have died shortly thereafter of his injuries and exposure to the extreme cold . No Chinese forces threatened the site , likely owing to the heavy air presence of Brown and Hudner ' s unit . Hudner begged superiors to allow him to return to the wreck to help extract Brown , but he was not allowed , as other officers feared an ambush of the vulnerable helicopters resulting in casualties . To prevent the body and the aircraft from falling into Chinese or North Korean hands , the U . S . Navy bombed the aircraft with napalm two days later , with pilots reportedly reciting the Lord ' s Prayer over the radio as they watched Brown ' s body be consumed by flames . The pilots observed that Brown ' s body was still stuck in the aircraft , but his clothes were gone . The remains of both Brown and the aircraft were never recovered . Brown was the first African - American U . S . Navy officer killed in the war . Legacy . For his actions in Korea leading up to his death , Brown was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Purple Heart Medal , and the Air Medal . For the failed rescue attempt , Hudner received the Medal of Honor , the highest valor award presented by the U . S . military . Brown ' s shipmates memorialized him in a shipwide newspaper as " a Christian soldier , a gentleman , a shipmate , and friend . . . His courage and faith . . . shone like a beacon for all to see . " As word of his death spread , Brown inspired numerous other African Americans to become pilots , notably Seaman Apprentice Frank E . Petersen . Petersen would become the first African - American Marine Corps aviator and the first African - American Marine Corps general , being graduated from the Naval Aviation Training Program in 1952 and retiring from the military after 38 years in 1988 with the rank of lieutenant general . On 17 February 1973 , the Navy commissioned the , the third U . S . ship named in honor of an African American . Present at the commissioning ceremony in Boston , Massachusetts , were Daisy Brown Thorne ( who had remarried ) , Pamela Brown , and Hudner , who gave a dedication . The ship was decommissioned on 27 July 1994 and renamed the " Damiyat " after being commissioned with the Egyptian navy . An extensive biography of Brown later was compiled by author Theodore Taylor , who had served in Korea and had been deeply moved by the news of Brown ' s death at the time . Taylor interviewed many of Brown ' s closest friends and family and consulted Daisy Brown ' s personal diary and records from the " Leyte " ' s ship log while preparing his 300 - page book , published in 2007 . In July 2013 , Hudner visited Pyongyang in an attempt to recover Brown ' s remains from the crash site . He was told by North Korean authorities to return in September when the weather is more predictable . Awards and decorations . Brown ' s military decorations included the following medals : References . Sources . Online sources