

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.