On October 21, 1948, Jesse LeRoy Brown earned his naval aviator wings, becoming the first African American to complete U.S. Navy flight training. A Mississippi native who attended Ohio State University, where he studied architecture and mathematics, Brown entered the Navy’s aviation training program in 1946 and began preflight training the following year. His qualification marked a historic breach in the racial barriers surrounding American military aviation.
Brown’s achievement rested on demanding training and sustained professional performance. Before earning his wings, he trained in the SNJ and F6F Hellcat, completing the prescribed syllabus for designation as a naval aviator. Assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 in January 1949, he subsequently received his commission as an ensign. His superiors praised him as “an excellent naval aviator” whose “personal and military character is above reproach.” The squadron transitioned from F8F Bearcats to F4U Corsairs, the aircraft Brown would fly in combat.
During the Korean War, Brown flew from USS Leyte, conducting strikes and providing support for American ground forces. On December 4, 1950, while flying armed reconnaissance near the Chosin Reservoir, his Corsair lost power, apparently after damage from enemy small-arms fire. Brown crash-landed on a snow-covered mountainside and became trapped in the cockpit. His wingman, Lieutenant (junior grade) Thomas J. Hudner Jr., deliberately crash-landed nearby and attempted to free him, later joined by Marine helicopter pilot First Lieutenant Charles Ward. Despite their efforts, Brown died before he could be rescued. He was 24.
Brown’s service helped establish a place for Black aviators in naval aviation. His legacy rests not only on being first, but on the professional ability, determination, and combat service that followed his historic qualification.
Photo Caption:
Breaking Barriers — Midshipman Jesse L. Brown
Midshipman Jesse L. Brown at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, in October 1948. On October 21 that year, Brown earned designation as a naval aviator, becoming the first African American to complete U.S. Navy flight training. He later served as a carrier-based fighter pilot during the Korean War.
