A man of honor: One Veteran’s dedication to his calling

In times of war, every second is crucial to ensure not only one’s survival, but that of their own men. And while he saw many other soldiers giving of themselves just as he did, Major General Patrick Henry Brady displayed such an act of valor during his time in Vietnam for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. 

The son of a World War II Veteran who fought with Darby’s Rangers, Major General Brady joined the United States Army in 1959 and throughout decades of service, his time in Vietnam stood out as a helicopter ambulance evacuation pilot, known on the battlefield as Dust Off.

Volunteering to serve in Vietnam right out of flight school in January 1964, Major General Brady utilized his unique abilities for maneuvering through strenuous conditions that turned many others back and chose to land directly on the battlefield during battle to provide vital seconds to ensure those wounded were brought home.

“It wasn’t just me - all the Dust Off pilots, the helicopter ambulance pilots, engaged in the same kind of work. Our job was to rescue the wounded from the battlefield, day or night, no matter what the weather was,” Major General Brady recalled. “And so as a result, Vietnam was the only place that that was done. Never before in the history of warfare have we had any kind of aircraft landing on the battlefield to rescue the wounded.” 

Navigating through missions that involved the most dangerous kind of flying was only possible due to the dedicated resource of the helicopter and the well-trained crew involved. By working together, Major General Brady and his unit discovered unique ways to accomplish rescue missions day and night, even in zero-zero weather. 

Zero-zero weather refers to weather conditions of zero ceiling and zero visibility, emphasizing the strenuous circumstances Brady and his unit found themselves in.

“That kind of made the medal of honor missions unique because it involved weather that you’re not supposed to fly in,” he said. “They didn’t think you could fly in it, but in our unit, we found a way to do it.”

Medal of honor missions

Becoming known as one of the most skilled evac pilots in Vietnam, Major General Brady was called upon for a specific rescue mission that no other pilot could complete, which became known as his Medal of Honor action, near Chu Lai.

On January 6, 1968, he flew four separate missions and used three different UH-1H helicopters through heavy fog and smoke to evacuate 51 seriously wounded men, many of whom would have perished without prompt medical treatment. 

He wasn’t even on duty that day but answered the call to rescue patients from an outpost under attack. While seven previous attempts had failed and several aircrafts shot down in the attempts to get to the outpost before he began his first rescue mission of the day, Major General Brady flew directly over the enemy, using the challenging weather conditions to his advantage and not being easily detected in the zero-zero weather.

He and his unit made several trips to rescue patients unscathed, much to the surprise of fellow soldiers who were wary of the conditions and enemy fire. Returning from their last rescue flight was a welcome sight. 

“When they saw us break up out of that fog, everybody on the fire support base broke out clapping,” he recalled.

But that was just part of their day, quickly turning to other missions to rescue soldiers from heavy fire fight and patients trapped in a minefield.

“As far as fear goes, I never experienced it. For me, it was a matter of my faith – my faith was a substitute for fear,” he said. “And I just knew that if I died doing what I was doing, what a better way to die?” 

On October 9, 1969, Major General Brady was presented his Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon at the White House in Washington, D.C. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States Armed Forces. 

Major General Brady is only one of two men alive to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross during the Vietnam War.

Trust in VA

Looking back on his experiences with VA, his very first was concerning his father’s healthcare, a World War II Veteran that placed his trust in VA to care for him.

“My first experience with VA was while I was on active duty and my father was admitted to a Veterans hospital in Seattle,” he recalled. “I was in San Francisco at the time, but I went up to see what was going on there. I was frankly amazed at the care they gave this man, this World War II Veteran. That was truly exceptional.”

While his own healthcare has been primarily with the military healthcare system, General Brady recently began with a Patient Aligned Care Team at the North Central Federal Clinic in San Antonio.

“The concern of the treatment, the cleanliness of the clinic, and the friendliness of the people that you deal with at North Central Federal Clinic - there’s just no question about how much they care and I am very impressed with what I have found here in San Antonio,” he shared.

Throughout his career, Major General Brady served two combat tours and flew more than 2,500 combat missions, evacuating more than 5,000 wounded. He gave so much of himself while serving in Vietnam and over the course of his 34-year career, and South Texas staff are honored to not only have the opportunity to provide exceptional care to him, but to remind him that he is important to us all.

Major General Brady encourages his fellow Veterans to consider enrolling at a VA facility near them and not waiting until it’s too late.

If you are a Veteran or know of a Veteran seeking VA health care services, visit www.southtexas.va.gov to learn more about how South Texas can assist them.