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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
Model Douglas AD-1 Skyraider Length 39.37 ft | 12.00 m Width 50.00 ft | 15.24 m Height 15.75 ft | 4.80 m Engine(s) 1 x Wright R-3350-24W air-cooled radial engine generating 2,500hp. Empty Weight 10,470 lbs | 4,749 kg MTOW 18,029 lbs | 8,178 kg Max Speed 321 mph | 517 km/h | 279 kts Max Range 1,553 miles | 2,500 km Ceiling 26,001 ft | 7,925 m | 4.9 miles Climb Rate 2,300 ft/min (701.4 m/min) Hardpoints 14 Armament 4 x 20mm Cannons 12 x Rockets
7,000 pounds of external ordnance including bombs and gun pods. Accommodations 1
* AD-5 - Anti-Submarine Model of which 212 produced; two crew-seating in side-by-side configuration; widened fuselage. * AD-6 - Improved AD-4B versions; improved low-level bombing capability; 713 produced. * AD-7 - AD-6 version fitted with R-3350-26WB and reinforced substructure of which 73 were produced in total in this way. * A-1E - AD-5 Redesignated from 1962 standard onwards. * A-1H - AD-6 Redesignated from 1962 standard onwards. * A-1J - AD-7 Redesignated from 1962 standard onwards.
