In December 1950, Lt. Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., and members of 32nd Fighter Squadron were flying combat missions in Korea. Hudner was wingman for the Navy’s first African-American pilot, Jesse Brown, when enemy fire struck Brown’s aircraft. He crash landed it behind enemy lines. The burning wreckage trapped Brown.

Hudner, attempting to rescue Brown, landed his plane wheels-up on rough, mountainous terrain infested with enemy troops. He struggled to pull Brown free from the wreckage and stayed with the downed pilot, despite continued danger of the enemy, cold weather and flames. For his efforts, Hudner, a Naval Academy Class of 1947 graduate, received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman in 1951.

Hudner and 139 other military Medal of Honor recipients are celebrated in the “Visions of Valor” portrait collection, a set of dramatic black-and-white photographs that TriWest Healthcare Alliance is contributing to the United States Naval Academy at a special ceremony. Details of the ceremony are:

Date/Time:

2:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15

Location:

Memorial Hall, located in Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis - 33 miles east of Washington, D.C. and 30 miles south of Baltimore

Speakers:

• Secretary of the Navy, Dr. David C. Winter
• Naval Academy Superintendent, Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler
• TriWest President and CEO David J. McIntyre, Jr.
• Medal of Honor recipient and Naval Academy graduate Thomas Hudner, Jr.

“In the hallowed halls of our nation’s future heroes will stand the memory of the past’s bravest men, all of whom served our nation in its times of greatest need,” McIntyre said. “This collection is in tribute to those who have earned our highest honor for valor in the face of the enemy.”

Following the presentation, “Visions of Valor” will be on display at the Naval Academy.

Medal of Honor recipients who are also Naval Academy graduates featured in the portrait collection are Eugene B. Fluckey and James B. Stockdale. Vice Admiral Stockdale is one of the most highly decorated officers in the Navy. While flying over North Vietnam, Stockdale’s aircraft was disabled by enemy fire. Stockdale ejected from the aircraft and parachuted into a small village where was immediately captured. He spent seven years as a prisoner of war before his release in 1973.

Hudner, a retired Navy Captain, is the only living Naval Academy alumnus with the Medal of Honor. In all, 73 Naval Academy graduates received the Medal of Honor, including Edwin A. Anderson, Oscar Badger, Richard E. Byrd, Robert Cary, John P. Cromwell, Samuel D. Dealey, Henry Drexler, Walter A. Edwards, Frank F. Fletcher, Frank J. Fletcher, Samuel Fuqua, Howard Gilmore, Richmond Pearson Hobson, Henry Huse, Carlton Hutchins, Jonas Ingram, Edouard Izac, Claud Jones, Issac Kidd, Bruce McCandless, William Moffett, Edward O’Hare, Richard O’Kane, Lawson Ramage, Milton Ricketts, Albert Rooks, Norman Scott, James B. Stockdale, George Street III, Franklin Van Valkenburgh, Bruce Van Voorhis, Richard Wainwright, Jr., Theodore Stark Wilkinson, Jr., and Cassin Young.

Learn more about “Visions of Valor” by visiting www.visionsofvalor.com. The portrait collection is also available in the book, “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty,” photographs by Nick Del Calzo and text by Peter Collier.

About TriWest

TriWest Healthcare Alliance partners with the Department of Defense to do "Whatever It Takes" to support the health care needs of 2.7 million members of America's military family. A Phoenix-based corporation, TriWest is URAC accredited, without deficiencies, in Networks, Utilization Management, Disease Management, and Case Management. TriWest provides access to cost-effective, high-quality health care in the 21-state TRICARE West Region and is the 2007 TRICARE Region of the year. TriWest is a proud Corporate Team Member of America Supports You. Visit www.triwest.comfor more information.