Who was the first African American naval aviator in the US?

Short answer

Jesse LeRoy Brown was the first African American aviator to complete the Navy's basic flight training program, though not the first African American naval aviator. He received the Naval Aviator insignia on 21 October 1948. He died on 4 December 1950 at Chosin.

Published: October 31, 2026 · Updated: October 31, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Who was the first African American naval aviator in the US?

F4U at 2023 Oshkosh

Who he was

Jesse LeRoy Brown, born 13 October 1926 and died 4 December 1950, was a United States Navy officer. He was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, into an impoverished family, and from a very young age showed an intense interest in aircraft. He enlisted in the Navy in 1946, as a midshipman.

The naval aviator title

He was the first African American aviator to complete the Navy's basic flight training program, though not the first African American naval aviator. The Navy did not initially realize he was African American. On 21 October 1948 he completed his training and received the Naval Aviator insignia and the corresponding designation. He earned his pilot's wings that same day amid a flood of press attention.

Korea, VF-32 and the Corsair

In January 1949 he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32), embarked on the carrier USS Leyte. VF-32 flew F4U-4 Corsair fighters in support of United Nations forces. On 4 December 1950, Brown came under enemy fire and crashed on a remote mountaintop while supporting ground troops in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.