This is an IHeart podcast.

And we continue with our American stories.

Up next, the story of America's first black naval aviator. There's been a movie

dedicated to him called Devotion based on the book of the same name by Adam Makos, who's a regular

contributor to this show. The story is about Jesse Leroy Brown, but it's also about Thomas Hudner, who won a Medal of Honor

trying to save Jesse's life in combat. Here to tell this story is the granddaughter of

Jesse Leroy Brown.

I'm Jessica Knight Henry, the granddaughter of Jesse Lleward Brown, the first black naval aviator.

My grandfather was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which is also where I grew up. And, you know, his story means so much to our family,

but is also a really important piece of American history.

And so we've been so grateful with the success of the film devotion

to just bring Jesse Story to a much wider audience.

Spoiler alert, Jesse's plane was shot down and he was killed in action December 3, 1950,

and my mom was just shy of being two years old.

And so we didn't grow up with my grandfather,

just stories from my grandmother, his brothers,

and those who served with him about his legacy

and exactly what he meant to them,

but what that historic sacrifice meant to so many others, particularly the American military.

But the interesting thing about the movie is that we meet Jesse when he's already a pilot.

And so if there was anything that I would share with folks would be more insight into just exactly what

he overcame to get him to that place.

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