VF-32 Centennial of Naval Aviation inspired scheme representing the F4U-4 Corsair 203K of ENS Jesse Brown, the first African-American Naval Aviator, posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
What if the Tomcat had at least served until the US Navy celebrated the Centennial of Naval Aviation from 2008 and onwards? This skin series seeks to represent realistic options that may have been chosen by Tomcat squadrons. The VF-32 Swordsmen aircraft presented here is based on the Corsair ENS Jesse Brown, the first African-American Naval Aviator, would fly on his final mission. A companion skin for LT (JG) Hudner's 205K will soon follow.
During the Korean War era, aircraft were marked with letter codes to represent their Carrier Air Wing. In this case, VF-32, Fighting 32, sported a "K" on their tail to represent the USS Leyte, the carrier they would deploy to Korea with in October 1950, alongside VF-31 (F9F-2 Panther), VF-33 (F4U-4), VA-35 (AD Skyraider), VC-4 (Night fighter F4U-5N), VC-33 (night attack, AD Skyraider, VC-62 (photo recon F4U-5P), HU-2 (rescue/utility Sikorsky H-5), and VC-12 (early AWACS, special AD-5W Skyraider). In the case of ENS Brown's Corsair, his aircraft was marked as 203K. His wingman and MOH recipient LT (JG) Thomas Hudner Jr was in 205K.
Please take the time to read up on Ensign Brown here:
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/browse-by-topic/people/trailblazers/jesse-brown.html
Author's note: These Korean War themed skins pay homage to the hard-hitting air support that Navy and Marine Corsair, Skyraider, Panther, and Banshee pilots provided during the encirclement and breakout at Chosin Reservoir. Were it not for them at least 2 of my family members may not have walked out of that reservoir, and one of them distinctly remembers how low and aggressively they would fly into enemy fire to deliver their ordnance.
