Press Release                                                                                    Friday, May 25, 2012

Concord – Sandi Martinez, Candidate for State Senate in the Third Middlesex district, congratulates her friend and supporter Captain Thomas Hudner, retired US Naval Aviator, and the last living Navy recipient of the Medal of Honor from the Korean War, who has been chosen for a very rare honor - having a US Naval ship named after him, while still alive.

"The United States Navy has a long tradition that no vessel be named for a living person, and an equally long tradition, stretching back to the Continental Navy, of breaking it from time to time. The U.S. Navy generally announces the name of a ship some time before it is launched, and well before it is accepted for purchase and commissioned into active service" according to Wikipedia.

Capt. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic and selfless act of crash-landing his own aircraft, behind enemy lines, in an attempt to save one of his fellow wingmen, putting his own life in danger.

“When Captain Hudner crash-landed his own aircraft to save the life of his wingman, he would tell you he was just ‘doing his job,’" said U.S. Sen. Scott Brown. “In fact, Captain Hudner went above and beyond the call at unimaginable risk to his own life to help his fellow sailor.

Hudner was injured in his failed attempt to save his wingman Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first African American naval aviator to fly in combat. Brown ended up dying having been trapped under his aircraft that crashed after the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

Martinez commented “Tom has been a friend of mine for several years.  As a mother of two young Marines that have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, his strong commitment to our military and to their families means a lot to me.  I am both humbled and honored by his generous endorsement of my candidacy.

Martinez was moved by the endorsement from a national hero who represents America's greatest, Tom Hudner.  "I am proud and honored to accept his endorsement" she said.  "This is the first of several Veteran endorsements that will be coming!”

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