He wandered into the breakfast in an unassuming way Monday morning and asked for  a cup of coffee. After being recognized, Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., told the members of the Connecticut Delegation about service to country and how Sen. John McCain was the only candidate who could lead our country in times of peril.

“John McCain knows what dangers we face as a nation and what it will take to keep us safe,”said  Hudner. “He knows the military is about keeping us strong and safe.”

Hudner graduated from the Naval Academy in 1946, not too long after the V-J Day and he said many in his graduating class were frustrated that they were unable to serve in the greatest struggle of all time.

“Little did we know that we would be very busy in five short years,” said Hudner. “No one saw the Korean War coming.”

And then, his moment came to go beyond the call of duty.

“On December 4th, 1950, then Lt. Budner was flying a VF-32 Corsair fighter in support of a United Nations forces, brought his plane down on battlefield near the Chosin Reservoir to rescue a fellow pilot trapped in burning wreckage.  Lt. Budner brought his plane in, wheels up, and ran to Ensign Jesse L. Brown, who was pinned in his cockpit.  He packed the fuselage of Brown’s plane with snow to keep the heat and flames at bay, called in support and all the time, tried in vain to aid his fellow pilot.

President Harry Truman presented Lt.  Hudner with the Medal of Honor on April 13, 1951 at the White House. He has a long and distinguished career with the Navy, serving as Executive Officer on the USS Kitty Hawk and Head of Aviation Technical Training in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations. Capt. Budner retired from the Navy in 1973 as a Captain, worked as a Management Consultant and then as Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Veteran’s Services. Capt. Budner and his wife, Georgea, live a quite life in Concord, Mass.