OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Jesse Brown became the first black pilot to fly for the U.S. Navy in 1948 and is the subject of a very special exhibit at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh.
EAA Museum Programs Director Chris Henry called it a "high honor" to host the exhibit, which features memorabilia and an airplane flown by a member of Brown's squadron.
He explained that Brown faced plenty of discrimination during his time in the Navy's basic flight training program, but found acceptance and close friendships on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Leyte, where he was deployed during the Korean War.
“It was almost refreshing once he got onto the Leyte," said Henry. "Those guys looked at him as no other, they looked at him as just one of them.”
One of Brown's squadron mates went above and beyond for his friend when Brown was shot down during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in December of 1950. Brown's wingman Thomas Hudner crash-landed his own plane in an effort to rescue him, but Brown, unfortunately, died of his injuries.
Although he passed away over 70 years ago, Henry believes Brown's impact lives on today.
“Go talk to our current Navy and Marine Aviators," Henry said. "There are people of color now flying F-18 Hornets and things like that, that’s all built on Jesse, that legacy started on the ripples Jesse started.”
EAA Director of Communications Dick Knapinski hopes the museum's exhibit will honor that legacy.
“When they look at this, maybe to have a better understanding [of] what he went through, the discrimination Jesse Brown faced and being able to rise above that to achieve and become a naval aviator," said Knapinski. "It is something we should celebrate as a pioneer for those that came after him.”
