Medal of Honor: Patrick Henry Brady – Vietnam War – Republic of Vietnam – January 1968
When others were turned back by fog, fire, and wreckage, he flew straight into it. With wounded men waiting and no safe landing in sight, he made the impossible routine.
January 6, 2026
Name: Patrick Henry Brady
Rank: Major
Organization: U.S. Army
Branch: Medical Service Corps
Unit: 54th Medical Detachment, 67th Medical Group, 44th Medical Brigade
Aircraft: UH-1H “Huey” ambulance helicopter
Place: Near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam
Entered Service At: Seattle, Washington
Born: Philip, South Dakota
Summary of Action
On 6 January 1968, Major Patrick H. Brady was commanding a UH-1H medical evacuation helicopter in the Republic of Vietnam when he voluntarily undertook a series of rescue missions under some of the most dangerous flying conditions of the war. He was first called to extract wounded South Vietnamese soldiers from enemy-held territory that was heavily defended and blanketed by dense fog and smoke.
Descending through near-zero visibility, Major Brady hovered low along a narrow valley trail, deliberately turning his helicopter sideways so the rotor wash could blow away the fog and reveal the landing site. Despite intense close-range enemy fire and the extremely confined terrain, he successfully landed and evacuated two critically wounded soldiers.
He was then summoned to another site completely obscured by fog where American casualties lay only 50 meters from enemy positions. Two aircraft had already been shot down there, and others had failed to reach the wounded earlier that day. Undeterred, Major Brady flew four separate missions into the embattled zone, repeatedly landing under fire and rescuing all wounded personnel.
On a third mission that day, he landed at a site surrounded by enemy forces while friendly troops were pinned down and unable to secure the area. His helicopter was badly damaged and flight controls partially shot away, yet he returned minutes later to extract the remaining wounded. After obtaining a replacement aircraft, he was immediately called again—this time to land in an enemy minefield where a U.S. platoon was trapped. A mine detonated near his helicopter, wounding two crewmembers and damaging the aircraft, but Major Brady continued the mission and evacuated six severely injured soldiers.
Over the course of the day, Major Brady flew three different helicopters and evacuated a total of 51 seriously wounded men, many of whom would not have survived without his extraordinary courage, precision flying, and refusal to abandon those in need.
Medal of Honor Citation
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 two 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 four 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 two crewmembers and damaging his ship. In spite of this, he managed to fly six severely injured patients to medical aid.
Throughout that day Maj. Brady utilized three 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.
