Sen. Carper Presents Purple Heart Medal to Native Delawarean William Brady

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) presented the Purple Heart to 90-year-old United States Army and Navy veteran Lt. William Brady for wounds he suffered during his service in the Korean War. Lt. Brady, a native of Delaware, was joined at the presentation at the Brick Hotel by his wife Edith, and 26 family members and friends. 

In May, Judge Jane M. Brady, former Attorney General in Delaware, requested assistance from Sen. Carper to locate military records that would identify her father, Lt. Brady, as a candidate to receive the Purple Heart. Sen. Carper’s office was able to locate Brady’s service records, which detailed the cause and extent of the injuries he suffered while stationed in Korea, and verified that he should receive the award.

“I am honored to present the Purple Heart Medal to Lt. Brady in front of his wife, friends and family today,” said Sen. Carper, also a veteran of the Navy. “Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend our nation, and I am proud we were able to finally deliver to Lt. Brady the honor he deserves on behalf of the U.S. Army and the President of the United States.”

Born March 1, 1925, in Wilmington, Delaware, Lt. Brady attended Richardson Park Elementary School and Conrad High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from May 1943 to March 1946 as part of the amphibious force on the English Channel that prepared for the invasion of Normandy during World War II. When he was honorably discharged from the Navy, he returned home to Delaware, enrolled in the University of Delaware and joined the Army ROTC.

In April 1952, just days after the birth of his son, Lt. Brady was deployed by the U.S. Army to Korea. On Oct. 21, 1952, Lt. Brady’s platoon in the 40^th Infantry Division was attacked by enemy fire. At the time of the attack, Lt. Brady was positioned near the top of a hill where he was spotted and fired upon. As Lt. Brady began to retreat down the hill, a mortar landed near enough to him to blow him off his feet, sending his body downhill where he landed on his back. Although Lt. Brady was badly hurt and could barely move, he crawled 30 yards to take cover under a Jeep until the bombing stopped and he could be rescued by fellow soldiers. The injuries he suffered during the attack kept him from walking on his own for a year. 

Today, Mr. Brady is a loving husband, devoted father of seven children and successful business man.