GENERAL PATRICK HENRY BRADY

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GENERAL PATRICK HENRY BRADY

I cannot emphasize enough the role my faith played in any success I have had.  It was the source of whatever courage I had a constant source of comfort, of calm and of the confidence that allowed me to do things that for me would have otherwise been impossible.  For reasons that escape me, the Good Lord has seen fit to bless my life in so many ways, not the least of which was saving lives.

General Brady

Major General Brady spent over 34 years in the Army serving in duty stations all over the world. He was in Berlin before and after the building of the Wall. He served in the Dominican Republic during that conflict, in Korea as commander of the troops at the Joint Security area of the DMZ and for 2 years in Vietnam as a helicopter ambulance pilot. He has eight years' service with America's citizen soldiers, our Reserve Components, and is a former Chief of Army Public Affairs. 

While in Vietnam he was awarded the Medal of Honor for a series of helicopter rescues which began at sunrise and ended after dark. Repeatedly he was warned by competent advisors that the missions were impossible due to weather, the enemy situation and mines. Major Brady convinced them it had been, and could be done. On three different missions and six tasks Major Brady rescued wounded soldiers from areas where other aircraft failed, on one mission 7 times. On two different occasions his aircraft were hit by automatic weapons fire. On a third, his aircraft was severely damaged by a mine. Major Brady’s aircraft were so severely damaged that three aircraft were required to complete the missions and at the day’s end the aircraft he flew had over 400 holes in them. In the process two crew members were wounded. That day Major Brady evacuated over 70 patients many who would have died without expeditious medical care. 

In two tours in Vietnam he flew over 2500 combat missions and rescued over 5000 wounded, men, women, and children, enemy as well as friendly.  He developed foul weather and tactical techniques for air ambulance rescues never before executed in combat for which he is identified in the Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War and other books as the top helicopter pilot in that war.

Gen. Brady is one of two living veteran to hold both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, our nation's second highest award. He has earned over 85 medals, 65 combat related 12 for valor. His other awards include: two Distinguished Service Medals; the Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; six Distinguished Flying Crosses; three Bronze Stars, one for valor; the Purple Heart, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm and silver star and 53 Air Medals, one for valor. 

His civilian awards include the Distinguished Citizen Award from the American Legion, their highest award, and the Daughters of the American Revolution's Medal of Honor. 

General Brady is a Master Army Aviator and member of both the Army Aviation and Dust Off Halls of Fame. He is the first and only Army Aviator in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. He is also the only Army Aviator to receive the Bob Hoover Freedom of Flight Award and was recently inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation. 

He is widely recognized as the most highly decorated living veteran. 

General Brady is a past President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Seattle University and an MBA from Notre Dame University. He is a former Commissioner of the Battle Monuments Commission at the time it completed the World War II memorial.

Along with his daughter Meghan he published Dead Men Flying which covers his experiences with the origin and execution of Aero Medical evacuation in Viet Nam, called Dust Off, the greatest battlefield life saver in history. 

Despite his numerous awards, General Brady is convinced that it is not what you did to earn the medals, but what you do as a result.  Accordingly, he has dedicated his life to our youth, the elderly and veterans and started a foundation for this purpose: TheGeneralandNancyLeeBradyFoundation.com

In my faith, there is a doctrine of grace.  It teaches that there is a treasure chest filled with grace, and that it was filled by the sacrifices of Jesus and the saints.  It’s available to all of us to help us as we struggle to do what is right.  We can all draw from that chest through no particular merits of our own, but simply because of God’s love for us.  Our freedom is, like grace, a  treasure chest.  It was filled by the sacrifices of our great heroes and patriots, particularly by our military. We all constantly draw from that chest of freedom, through

no  particular merits of our own, but simply because of their love for us.

General Brady