|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| MEDAL OF
HONOR RECIPIENT |
| |
 |
| |
| |
| |
| NAME: |
Patrick
Henry Brady |
| RANK: |
Major |
| ORGANIZATION: |
U.S.
Army, Medical Service Corps, 54th Medical
Detachment, 67th Medical Group, 44th
Medical Brigade |
| PLACE: |
Near
Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam |
| DATE: |
6
January 1968 |
| ENTERED
SERVICE AT: |
Seattle,
Washington |
| BORN: |
1
October 1936, Philip, South Dakota |
|
| |
| 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 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. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
