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Devotion: Who Were Jesse Brown And Tom Hudner? What Led To Tom Hudson And Jesse Brown’s Friendship?

“Devotion” is centered around the life of Ensign Jesse Brown, as remembered by his wingman, Tom Hudner. Jesse was the first African American aviator and was often subjected to racial remarks, but he channeled his anger into fulfilling his dream of becoming a pilot. The film unfolds during the time when Brown had already become a United States Navy officer, and his presence as a uniformed officer threatened the racist white individuals around him. Who were Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner? What led to Tom Hudson and Jesse Brown’s friendship?

 

Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner DevotionSource: IMDb


Tom dropped Jesse off at home after his car broke down on the side of the road. While Jesse barely brought his colleagues home, he invited Tom and introduced him to his wife and daughter. Tom was special to Jesse, though he preferred not to disclose his affection overtly. Daisy realized that the fact that Jesse brought Tom home meant that he was one of the few friends Jesse could trust. She asked Tom to promise to be by Jesse’s side during their journey together since she would not be able to protect him from any danger. That day, Tom got to see another side of Jesse—the warm, fun, and relaxed person that he had never seen before. Tom knew Jesse was not just fighting for himself and his identity but also for his family, who loved and cherished him and would look forward to his return.

Life has clearly not treated the first black Naval officer and a celebrated back-from-the-Academy white aviator the same. No matter how hard he tries, Tom can’t really even begin to scratch the surface of the depth of pain and anger Jesse has to handle every waking moment. He has routinely faced the filth of racism in every stage of his life. 

Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner DevotionSource: People


The cynics, defeatists, and racists had poured gallons of venom on Jesse’s path even before he had the guts to have a glorious dream at a time when black people weren’t afforded the privilege. And when he did broadcast his ambition of being one with the birds, discrimination held his wings down with acute hatred. Even the authorities that were supposed to provide a helping hand at the dawn of his career cruelly conspired to make him fail his tests and make him repeat things several times just to burn him out. Even his advisors, who hoped for his death, made Jesse skeptical of everyone around him. We are not allowed a direct look at an extreme form of erratic violence against Jesse.

But in Jesse’s muted expression of constant self-preservation and his defense mechanism of painfully screaming out the hateful words he has endured, we see the reflection of a man who has seen the highest severities of racist hatred and continues to battle the risks of discrimination even in his days in the Navy.

Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner DevotionSource: IMDb


Tom, despite his best efforts, can’t get through the wall Jesse puts up. He witnesses the awful treatment Jesse faces on a regular basis and wants to lend a helping hand. But life has taught Jesse that there is only one man he can trust completely, and that is himself. While Tom may not be racist, his personal experiences haven’t allowed him to see the extremes to which racism can escalate. He doesn’t realize why it triggers Jesse when he blames Carol’s disregard for clear instructions for his death. 

Breaking the rules is how Jesse has kept himself afloat so far. Breaking the rules is how he has been surviving. He has been a one-man army in his battle against racial discrimination for so long that he has learned only to rely on himself. Tom swooping in to defend him against the marine who insults Jesse on the boat or the one who attacks him at the Cannes bar doesn’t sit right with Jesse. When writing the report on Jesse’s insubordination, Tom doesn’t understand why a report like that will have a more damning consequence on Jesse than on someone like Tom. His act of making up for it also comes as a reminder of his sheltered mindset.

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