Jack Tarleton Bradley (June 6, 1918 – July 4, 2000) was a United States Army Air Forces flying ace who was credited with shooting down 15 aircraft during World War II, being awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. He served as commanding officer of the

353rd Fighter Squadron The 353rd Combat Training Squadron is a United States Air Force training squadron responsible for Exercise RED FLAG – ALASKA held annually in Alaska. Overview All the activities on Alaska's three weapons training ranges – incorporating ...

. Bradley's combat experiences during World War II were notably documented through film, and he recorded several minutes of footage produced by his

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

gun camera Gun cameras are cameras mounted on a gun, used to photograph or record from its perspective. They are typically used on the weapons of military aircraft and operate either when the gun is fired or at the operator's will. Gun cameras are used for ...

Early life

Bradley was born in Brownwood, Texas, on June 6, 1918. He attended

Howard Payne College Howard Payne University is a private Baptist university in Brownwood, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Howard Payne College was founded by Reverend Noah T. Byers and Dr. John David Robnett in 1889. The insti ...

in Brownwood and joined its pilot training program.

Military career

In 1941, Bradley joined the United States Army Air Corps Flying Cadet Program in Dallas, and was commissioned with the rank of

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

. Following the start of American involvement in World War II, Bradley was assigned to

354th Fighter Group The 354th Fighter Group was an element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Ninth Air Force during World War II. The unit was known as the Pioneer Mustang Group and was the first to fly the P-51B Mustang in combat. The group served as bombe ...

, part of the USAAF's Ninth Air Force. Bradley's experiences during the war were recorded on film, mostly through the gun camera of his P-51 Mustang, which recorded silent films of his strafes and dogfights while serving in the European theatre. He is also believed to have recorded footage of a destroyed German airfield captured by the Allies. On May 28, 1944, then-

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Bradley was leading the 353rd Fighter Squadron during an escort of a large bomber formation, which was conducting an attack deep within Germany. Observing a large group of Luftwaffe fighters about to attack the bombers, Bradley directed his squadron to protect the bombers and led them to combat. Bradley shot down two fighters, while his squadron accounted for ten downed enemy fighters. The bombers were unscathed. For his actions, Bradley was awarded the

, the second highest medal given to members of the United States Army, of which the USAAF was a branch. Following the war, Bradley remained in the United States Air Force. He acted as a technical advisor for the 1950

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

film ''Chain Lightning''. He retired from the Air Force in 1962 at the rank of colonel.

Later life and death

Bradley died on July 4, 2000, in his birthplace of Brown County, Texas. He was buried at Eastlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Early, Texas Early is a city located in Brown County in west-central Texas, in the United States. It is a suburb of Brownwood, and the population was 2,762 at the 2010 census. It is named for Walter U. Early, who donated land for the schools. It is home to the ...

Awards and decorations

Distinguished Service Cross citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Air Corps) Jack T. Bradley, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-51 Fighter Airplane in the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, NINTH Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 28 May 1944, during an air mission over Germany. On this date while leading his squadron of fighter airplanes in escort of a large bomber formation attacking a highly important and exceedingly well defended target deep within Germany, Major Bradley observed a large group of enemy fighters about to attack the bombers. Without hesitation he directed his forces to give maximum protection to the bombers and, although under repeated attack himself, dived fearlessly into the midst of the enemy formation and personally destroyed two enemy airplanes while his squadron accounted for ten. The enemy attack was so completely disorganized, that not a single enemy airplane reached the bombers. The outstanding heroism and skill displayed by Major Bradley on this occasion reflect highest credit upon himself, the 9th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Jack T. 1918 births 2000 deaths American World War II flying aces Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II United States Air Force colonels People from Brown County, Texas Military personnel from Texas Aviators from Texas