George F. Brady

George F. Brady
George F. Brady
Born	September 7, 1867; Ireland
Died	November 6, 1903 (aged 36); Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Place of burial	Island Cemetery, Newport, Rhode Island
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1884 - 1903
Rank	Chief Gunner's Mate
Unit	USS Winslow (TB-5)
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War
Awards	Medal of Honor; Navy Good Conduct Medal; Sampson Medal; Spanish Campaign Medal;

George F. Brady (real name George Patrick Brady, September 7, 1867 – November 6, 1903)^[1] was a sailor in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Spanish–American War.

Biography[edit]

George Patrick Brady was born on September 7, 1867, in Ireland and enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 17 on November 30, 1884. He had risen to the rank of Chief Gunner's Mate by the time of the Spanish–American War in 1898.

Brady was aboard the torpedo boat USS Winslow (TB-5) during the Battle of Cardenas on May 11, 1898, off the coast of Cuba.^[2] During the battle, the Winslow was damaged by Spanish gunfire. Brady assisted in sustaining fire on the Spanish, made efforts to repair the ship's steering gear and helped maintain its watertight integrity to prevent it from sinking. For his heroism he was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Navy on September 3, 1899.

In addition to being awarded the Medal of Honor, he was also promoted to the warrant officer rank of Gunner on June 27, 1898, in recognition of his heroism.^[3] His first assignment following his promotion was to the armored cruiser USS New York. He was reassigned to the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island, on 21 November 1900.

Brady killed himself while serving on board the U.S.S. Monongahela at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, on November 6, 1903. He stated shortly before his suicide that "the pain was unbearable", but it is unclear if his pain was physical or emotional.^[4]

He was buried in the Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island, where his wife and children lived. As his tombstone did not indicate that he had received the Medal of Honor, this fact was not discovered until January 2013 when Charles Mogayzel of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was able to find Brady's burial site. Representatives of the U.S. Navy and local veterans organizations dedicated a Medal of Honor grave marker at Brady's grave on Memorial Day later that year.^[4]

His name in records pertaining to the Medal of Honor is "George F. Brady", and the name on his tombstone is "George P. Brady". The reason for this discrepancy is probably that his name was mis-transcribed when his Medal of Honor citation was written.^{[citation needed]}

Awards[edit]

Medal of Honor citation[edit]

Rank and organization: Chief Gunner's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 7 September 1867, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 497, September 3, 1898.

Citation[edit]

Chief gunner's mate on board the torpedo boat Winslow, for gallant and conspicuous conduct in the action at Cardenas, Cuba, May 11, 1898. Brady's energy in assisting to sustain fire, his efforts to repair the steering gear under fire, and his promptness in maintaining closed watertight doors and hatches, was largely instrumental in saving the vessel. ^[5]

External links[edit]

Remarks given in honor of Gunner George P. Brady

References[edit]

^ "George Patrick Brady (1867-1903)". Find a Grave. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
^ "BRADY, GEORGE F." Medal of Honor recipients, War With Spain. United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
^ Register of the Navy of the United States to January 1, 1903. Government Printing Office. Washington. pg. 74.
^ ^a ^b "Unknown".^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Record of Medals of Honor Issued to the Officers and Enlisted Men of the United States Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard, 1862–1923. Government Printing Office. Washington. 1924. pg. 11.

[1] "George Patrick Brady (1867-1903)". Find a Grave. Retrieved January 14, 2019.

[AMOHW-2] "BRADY, GEORGE F." Medal of Honor recipients, War With Spain. United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2010.

[3] Register of the Navy of the United States to January 1, 1903. Government Printing Office. Washington. pg. 74.

[unknown-4] "Unknown".^{[permanent dead link]}

[5] Record of Medals of Honor Issued to the Officers and Enlisted Men of the United States Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard, 1862–1923. Government Printing Office. Washington. 1924. pg. 11.

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