James Jerome Bradley

Lance Corporal
LIMA CO, 3RD BN, 1ST MARINES, 1ST MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
10 November 1945 - 05 March 1966
New York, New York
Panel 05E Line 113

1ST MARDIV

1ST MARINES
Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for James Jerome Bradley

10 Mar 2006

Lance Corporal Bradley was in 3rd Platoon, Lima 3/1. He was quiet and always ready to give a hand when needed. We sailed from Okinawa on the USS PAUL REVERE. L/Cpl Bradley made the beach landing on Operation Double Eagle with us. It was a really bad day. We came ashore in Nam on January 28, 1966. It was forty (40) years ago, but it seems like yesterday. He met his fate 37 days later and paid the ultimate sacrifice on OPERATION UTAH. It was our first major encounter with a highly trained and combat ready NVA force. May he Rest In Peace. I am honored to have shared the field of battle with him. We lost a lot of good men on that day in Quang Ngai Province.

Arturo Garza
sgteseusmc@yahoo.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 05 March 1966 the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, engaged elements of the 21st NVA Regiment in an 8 hour battle near Chau Ngai. Quoting from the 3/1 Command Chronology for March 1966, the NVA troops
"occupied classic defensive positions, were well-armed and equipped, and defended occupied positions in strength."
Enemy resistance slackened with nightfall and when the Marines began again after daybreak they found the NVA had withdrawn. The position turned out to be an extensive tunnel and underground bunker complex for the NVA 21st Regiment. The operation cost the Marines 42 dead; the NVA left 102 bodies on the field and appeared to have carried as many more with them as they retreated.

Lima 3/1 had nine of the Americans killed in the action:

  • SSgt Leonard A. Hultquist, Ogallala, NE
  • Sgt David Shields, Rutherford, NJ
  • Cpl Jimmy P. Sanchez, Los Angeles, CA (Silver Star)
  • LCpl James J. Bradley, New York, NY
  • LCpl Philip Fitch, Cincinnati, OH
  • Pfc Thomas W. Edwards, Binghamton, NY
  • Pfc Rickey D. Garner, Dallas, TX (Silver Star)
  • Pfc Jose E. Laguer, New York, NY
  • Pfc Jerry E. Parks, Grand Rapids, MI


The point-of-contact for this memorial is
Served with him in same Unit,
Arturo Garza
sgteseusmc@yahoo.com
10 Mar 2006



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 03/11/2006