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Contact Info
Home Town Hapeville, Georgia
Last Address St. George Island, Florida
Date of Passing Mar 15, 2002
Location of Interment College Park Cemetery - College Park, Georgia
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Captain Jackson L. Hudson (AFSN: 0-78723), United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as an A-1 Skyraider pilot of the 602d Special Operations Squadron, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, in action in Southeast Asia on 6 October 1969. On that date, Captain Hudson led and was responsible for the success of one of the largest search and rescue efforts ever attempted in Southeast Asia. With complete disregard for his own safety and despite extremely intense ground fire, Captain Hudson made repeated low-level passes delivering ordnance within ten meters of the survivors' position. He led and coordinated the final attack which eventually incapacitated an estimated four hundred to six hundred hostile forces and saved the lives of fifty-four human beings. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of overwhelming hostile forces, Captain Hudson reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Aircraft/Missile Information
Lockheed F-104G Starfighter Length 54.66 ft | 16.66 m Width 20.87 ft | 6.36 m Height 13.42 ft | 4.09 m Engine(s) 1 x General Electric J79-GE-11A turbojet engine generating 15,800lbs of thrust with afterburner. Empty Weight 13,995 lbs | 6,348 kg MTOW 29,055 lbs | 13,179 kg Max Speed 1,320 mph | 2,124 km/h | 1,147 kts Max Range 1,081 miles | 1,740 km Ceiling 58,005 ft | 17,680 m | 11.0 miles Climb Rate 48,000 ft/min (14,640 m/m) Hardpoints 4 Armament 1 x 20mm cannon 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
External missile load capacity of up to 4,000lbs (1,814 kg) on fuselage and wing positions. Accommodations 1
* XF-104 - Prototype of which two built. * YF-104A - Prototype Production Model Designation; 17 example prototypes built. * F-104A - Interceptor Production model featuring J79-GE-3 powerplant; limited service with USAF Air Defense Command. * F-104B - Tandem-seat trainer model. * F-104C - Tactical strike fighter-bomber model. * F-104D - Tandem-seat trainer model. * F-104G - All-weather multi-role developed by NATO consortium; Redesigned for West German Luftwaffe (Air Force) export; definitive F-104 model. * F-104J - License built F-104G for Japan; 207 produced locally by Mitsubishi for SDF. * TF-104 - Trainer variant based on F-104G model. * RF-104 - Reconnaissance variant based on F-104G model.
