Journal of a Veteran

Jack Bradley

Jack Bradley was my wife’s great uncle.  He flew a P-51B “Mustang” with the 354th Fighter Group of the 9th Air Force.  They were called the Pioneer Mustang Group because they were the first to receive the P-51.  His squadron was the 353rd Fighter Squadron.  The Group flew its first combat mission in ETO on 1 December 1943 and ranked 1st in the war with 701 confirmed kills in aerial combat.  Jack Bradley was 3rd overall in the Fighter Group with 15 confirmed kills.  I met him several times at family get togethers and unfortunately, he died several years ago.  

Here is a newsclip from 1999:

Friday, October 1, 1999

Retired area aviator to be honored
By JOHN STARBUCK
Staff Writer

A Brownwood man who shot down 15 enemy aircraft during World War II will be recognized today by the Confederate Air Force.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jack T. Bradley is among eight individuals and a squadron scheduled to be inducted into the American Combat Airman Hall of Fame at the CAF Headquarters in Midland.

Bradley was attending Howard Payne University when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps.

After graduating in 1941 from flying school in California, he joined the 9th Air Force’s 354th Fighter Group as a second lieutenant after it was formed in San Francisco.

Based in Portland, Ore., the 354th was deployed in the fall of 1943 to Europe.

He flew the P-51 Mustang, which saw its first combat during WWII, and was part of a group of pilots who recorded 701 aerial victories against the Germans and another 300 wins on the ground.

“That fighter group destroyed more enemy aircraft in the air than any organization in the entire military,” Bradley, 81, said.

Besides claiming his share of enemy planes, Bradley also had nine probable kills and damaged 12 additional aircraft. Two planes were destroyed in a 10-second span.

He later became commander of the 354th. When the war ended in Europe in May 1945, the fighter group was deactivated.

“My best memory was when the war was over. It was pretty costly,” said Bradley, born and raised in Brownwood.

Although a majority of Bradley’s service was with the 354th, he also took brief charge of another fighter group during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 after its senior officers had been killed in action.

His decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross.

He returned to California and took command of the 1st Fighter Group, which flew the first P-80 and F-86 jets in the Air Force. He also saw time with the Royal Air Force in England.

Retiring from the Air Force in 1962, Bradley worked in the aircraft industry for several years.

He later owned an international marketing consulting firm, and was a cattle rancher and construction engineer.

Signing up for the military, Bradley knew that America had a job to do and he wanted to be a part of it.

“I was very patriotic,” he said. “Our main concern was winning the war.”