Mark Edward Bradley
General, U.S. Air Force

Mark Edward Bradley was born on 10 December 1907 in Clemson, SC. After three years at Clemson High School, he attended Clemson A&M College and, in July 1926, entered the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated in June 1930 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery. He graduated from flying school in 1931 and was rated a pilot.

Bradley's first assignment as an Air Corps officer was at Selfridge Field, MI, where he served as a fighter pilot in the 27th Pursuit Squadron. In 1934, he graduated from the Air Corps Technical School and was assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group at Schofield Barracks, HI.

Graduating from the Engineering School at Wright Field, OH, in July 1938, Bradley was assigned to the Flight Test Section as a test pilot. Then he was, successively: P-47 Project Officer; Project Officer in the Pursuit Branch of the Materiel Division; Chief of the Fighter Branch; and Chief of the Flight Test Section.

He went to Europe in January 1945 and became Deputy Commanding Officer of the 1st Tactical Air Force Service Command. In May 1945, he was assigned to the Fifth Air Force in the Philippines, becoming Chief of Staff in October 1945 when it moved to Japan. In February 1946, he assumed Command of the 301st Fighter Wing on Okinawa where he remained until October 1946.

In November 1946, Bradley was assigned to the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, VA, as Assistant Director of the College's Plans and Operations Division.

He returned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in April 1948 and was appointed to the Air Materiel Command's Directorate of Procurement and Industrial Planning, as Deputy Director. He became Director of Procurement and Production in July 1951.

In April 1953, Bradley was named Assistant Chief of Staff for Materiel, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany. In August, he became Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Staff, USAFE.

Upon his return to the U.S. in July 1956, Bradley was appointed Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Materiel at Air Force Headquarters in Washington. He became Deputy Chief of Staff for Materiel on 30 June 1959. His position was redesignated as Deputy Chief of Staff for Systems and Logistics in 1961.

On 1 July 1962, Bradley was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assigned as Commander, Air Force Logistics Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

General Bradley retired from the Air Force on 1 August 1965.

Medals and Awards

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal (2 Awards)
Air Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Philippine Liberation Ribbon
French Croix de Guerre

Rated a Command Pilot, he flew six combat missions during World War II for a total of 32 combat hours.

In Retirement

After retirement, he became an executive vice-president of the Garrett Corporation.

Death and Burial

General Mark Edward Bradley died on 22 May 1999. He is buried at the U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, Orange County, NY, in Section XXIV, Row I, Grave 215.

His wife, Alice C. Newman Bradley, preceded him in death in 1990. They are buried together.