Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice

Devotion tells the true story of Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, the U.S. Navy's most famous aviator duo, and the Marines they fought to defend during the Korean War. Tom, a white New Englander from a country-club background who chose military service over Harvard, and Jesse, an African American sharecropper's son from Mississippi who became the navy's first Black carrier pilot, served together as wingmen in Fighter Squadron 32 despite the segregation that divided much of America at the time. The narrative follows these bold young aviators as they engage in aerial combat and support Marines battling a North Korean invasion. When fighting intensifies and Marines become cornered at the Chosin Reservoir, Tom and Jesse fly in to assist them. After one of the duo is shot down behind enemy lines, the other undertakes one of history's most audacious one-man rescue missions. The book explores themes of bravery, selflessness, and the lengths one person will go to save a friend.