“Off To The Chosin” by Nicolas Trudgian – Limited Edition F4U Corsair Autographed Print (Capt. Tom Hudner, Cdr. Bill Wilkinson, Cdr. Herb Sargent)

The morning of December 3, 1950, off the North Korean coast . . . with 150,000 horsepower churning, the USS Leyte steams into the wind as a Corsair piloted by Lt. Tom Hudner leaps from the deck, bound for the most dire battle of the Korean War. An hour’s flight away, the Marines and their Army brethren are surrounded at the Chosin Reservoir, outnumbered ten to one by Chinese Communist troops. But help is on the way.

Fueled by urgency, the Leyte and the 7th Fleet steer toward the coast. After the Corsairs launch, AD Skyraiders will follow, and soon all twenty-four planes will deliver the air strikes that will turn the tide. Now, with sailors watching in silent support, the air tingles with hope and the roar of propellers—Another one is off!

“Off to the Chosin” is hand-signed by a collection of Korean War heroes!

Print measures 32″ x 22.5″. Unframed. Ships rolled in a tube.

Autographs:

CAPTAIN TOM HUDNER (Medal of Honor)

A graduate of the Naval Academy, Tom flew combat missions with VF-32 in the fall of 1950. Despite being previously warned to avoid any “Hollywood rescue heroics,” Tom crash-landed his F4U to try to save his wingman, Jesse Brown, just one day after the moment shown in “Off to the Chosin.” For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1951. In 2013, Tom returned to North Korea on a mission to find Jesse’s remains. While he was unable to visit the Chosin Reservoir area, his visit impressed Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un who ordered his military to “find Jesse Brown.”

COMMANDER MARTIN GOODE

Marty enlisted in the Navy in December 1945 and became an aviator in October 1949. He joined VF-32 and was deployed to Korea with the squadron aboard the USS Leyte. On December 3, 1950, Marty helped locate the Chosin Reservoir, during a snowstorm, an action that allowed the Leyte’s aircraft to provide support for the Marines below. Throughout December, Marty would fly many Close Air Support missions to help the Marines. Following Korea, Marty remained in the Navy and became a helicopter pilot, eventually testing helicopters at Sikorsky.

COMMANDER BILL WILKINSON

Bill “Wilkie” Wilkinson left Yale to become a Naval aviator, a job he dreamed of as a kid. He was assigned to VF-32 just days prior to the Korea deployment. Bill piloted many combat missions with VF-32, even flying as wingman to Ensign Jesse Brown for a strike on the Yalu bridges. On December 3, 1950, Bill flew a close air support mission to help the Marines at Hagaru. After Korea, Bill transitioned to the Naval Reserves and became an American Airlines captain. He retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander.

COMMANDER HERB SARGENT

During his Navy pilot training, Herb Sargent befriended another fellow midshipman – Jesse L. Brown. In 1950, Herb would find himself part of VF-32 where he would fly with Jesse, Tom, Wilkie, and Marty off the USS Leyte. Herb piloted many combat missions over Korea, from strikes on the Yalu bridges to supporting the Marines trapped at the Chosin. It was during one of these missions that Herb flew over the crash site of Tom & Jesse to verify that Jesse’s body was still in his plane. To Herb, this was the “sadest mission” he ever flew. After Korea, Herb remained in the Navy and retired as a Commander.