T h o m a s J . “L o u ” Hudner Jr. 1
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Lou Hudner received five varsity letters during his time at Andover and cocaptained his track team senior year. Hudner’s speed also served the football team well in what is referred to as the “formidable gridiron machine of Coach Steve Sorota’s early days at Andover.” Hudner went on to graduate from Annapolis in 1946.
injured pilot who was trapped in his damaged plane. For his heroism, Hudner was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in 1951 in the White House Rose Garden. His was the first Medal of Honor to be presented for action in the Korean War. Following his tour with VF-32, Hudner held a variety of training, operational, and staff assignments. He commanded Training Squadron 24 (VT-24) from 1965 to 1966 and then served as executive officer of the USS Kitty Hawk. He retired from the navy in February 1973 with the rank of captain. Hudner later worked as a management consultant and, from 1991 to 1999, served as the Massachusetts Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services.
Designated a naval aviator in 1949, he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the USS Leyte. On December 4, 1950, while flying F4U-4 Corsair fighters with VF-32 during the Korean War, he crash-landed his own plane in the mountainous terrain behind enemy lines in an effort to rescue Ensign Jesse L. Brown, a fellow pilot who had been shot down. Despite sub-zero cold and having no tools at his disposal except a small ax, Lt. j.g. Hudner worked bravely with the helicopter rescue pilot to free the
1942 football team; Hudner is front row, second from right.
Andover Athletics Hall of
Honor
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