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Medal Of Honor Recipient From Mass. Buried At Arlington Cemetery

BOSTON (AP/CBS) — A former U.S. Navy pilot from Massachusetts who received the Medal of Honor for his heroics during the Korean War has been buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Navy says Capt. Thomas Hudner Jr. was laid to rest with full military honors Wednesday during a ceremony that included a "missing man" flyover by the squadron he flew with during the war.

Thomas Hudner
Sailors attached to the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard fold the national ensign at the funeral for Capt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr. at Arlington National Cemetery, April 4. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Raymond Minami)

Hudner, a Fall River native and longtime Concord resident, died in November at age 93.

Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in 1950. He crash landed his plane in an unsuccessful effort to save the life of his wingman and friend, Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy's first black combat pilot.

captain thomas hudner concord vet
Captain Thomas Hudner salutes the Navy officers who came to wish him a happy birthday. (Kim Tunnicliffe/WBZ NewsRadio 1030)

In August 2016, 50 Naval officers marched down the Concord street where Hudner lived and met him outside for a special birthday surprise. The officers sang the Navy Hymn and Happy Birthday to Hudner as he turned 92 years old.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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