Patrick Henry Brady

Infobox Military Person
name= Patrick Henry Brady
born= birth date and age|1936|10|1
died=
placeofbirth= Philip, South Dakota
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears= 1959-1993
rank= major (at time of action) Major General (retired)
commands=
unit=57th Medical Detachment 54th Medical Detachment
battles=
awards= Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal Army Commendation Medal

Patrick Henry Brady, (Born 1 October, 1936 in Philip, South Dakota), was a United States Army helicopter pilot who earned the United States' highest military decoration; the Medal of Honor and a retired Major General.

Biography

Brady attended O'Dea High School in Seattle, Washington, a strict, all boys school run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, where he was active in sports.

While in college at Seattle University, he initially hated the compulsory ROTC program and was kicked out. [Collier, p. 27] Brady realized he would probably be drafted after graduation reentered the ROTC to enter the service as an officer. After graduation he was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the Army Medical Service Corps in 1959.

During his first tour in Vietnam, then Captain Brady served with the 57th Medical Detachment, where his commanding officer was the legendary Major Charles Kelly. After Kelly's death on 1 July 1964, Brady took command of the 57th Medical's Detachment A in Soc Trang. On his second tour, Brady, now a major, commanded the 54th Medical Detachment. [Dorland, pp. 33-34] It was during this tour that Brady earned his MOH.

During his two tours in Vietnam Brady evacuated 5000 wounded. After Vietnam Brady continued in the army, retiring as a Major General in 1993 after 34 years of service. He now serves as Chairman of the Citizens Flag Alliance, an organization dedicated to protecting the American flag from desecration. [Collier, p. 27]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, Medical Service Corps, 54th Medical Detachment, 67th Medical Group, 44th Medical Brigade.

Place and date: Near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam, 6 January 1968.

Entered service at: Seattle, Wash.

Born: 1 October 1936, Philip, S. Dak.

Citation:

:For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Maj. Brady distinguished himself while serving in the Republic of Vietnam commanding a UH-1H ambulance helicopter, volunteered to rescue wounded men from a site in enemy held territory which was reported to be heavily defended and to be blanketed by fog. To reach the site he descended through heavy fog and smoke and hovered slowly along a valley trail, turning his ship sideward to blow away the fog with the backwash from his rotor blades. Despite the unchallenged, close-range enemy fire, he found the dangerously small site, where he successfully landed and evacuated 2 badly wounded South Vietnamese soldiers. He was then called to another area completely covered by dense fog where American casualties lay only 50 meters from the enemy. Two aircraft had previously been shot down and others had made unsuccessful attempts to reach this site earlier in the day. With unmatched skill and extraordinary courage, Maj. Brady made 4 flights to this embattled landing zone and successfully rescued all the wounded. On his third mission of the day Maj. Brady once again landed at a site surrounded by the enemy. The friendly ground force, pinned down by enemy fire, had been unable to reach and secure the landing zone. Although his aircraft had been badly damaged and his controls partially shot away during his initial entry into this area, he returned minutes later and rescued the remaining injured. Shortly thereafter, obtaining a replacement aircraft, Maj. Brady was requested to land in an enemy minefield where a platoon of American soldiers was trapped. A mine detonated near his helicopter, wounding 2 crewmembers and damaging his ship. In spite of this, he managed to fly 6 severely injured patients to medical aid. Throughout that day Maj. Brady utilized 3 helicopters to evacuate a total of 51 seriously wounded men, many of whom would have perished without prompt medical treatment. Maj. Brady's bravery was in the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.cite web
accessdate=2007-12-14
url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html
title = Patrick Henry Brady, Medal of Honor recipient
work = Vietnam War
publisher United States Army Center of Military History
date = 16 July, 2007]

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War

Notes

References

*cite book
last = Collier
first = Peter (Text)
authorlink =
coauthors = Del Calzo, Nick (Photographs)
title = Medal of Honor - Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty, 2nd ed.
publisher = Artisan
date = 2006
location = New York, New York
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 1-579-65240-9
*cite book
last = DeLong
first = Kent
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = War heroes: true stories of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients
publisher = Praeger Publishers
date = 1993
location = Westport, CT
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-275-94309-7
*cite book
last = Dorland
first = Peter
authorlink =
coauthors = Nanney, James
title = Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam
publisher = Center of Military History - United States Army
date = 1982
location = Washington, D.C.
url =
doi =
id =
*cite book
last = Humphries
first = James F.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Through the Valley: Vietnam, 1967-1968
publisher = Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
date = 1999
location = Boulder, Colorado
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 1-55587-821-0

External links

* [http://psysim.www7.50megs.com/dustkellyb1.htm "When I Have your Wounded," Brady's memoir of Kelly.]

Persondata
NAME= Brady, Patrick Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=