BRADLEY, WILLIS WINTER, JR.
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S.
Navy. Born: 28 June 1884, Ransomville, N.Y. Appointed from: North
Dakota.
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving on the
U.S.S. Pittsburgh, at the time of an accidental explosion of ammunition on that vessel. On
23 July 1917, some saluting cartridge cases were being reloaded in the after casemate:
through an accident an explosion occurred. Comdr. Bradley (then Lieutenant), who was about
to enter the casemate, was blown back by the explosion and rendered momentarily
unconscious, but while still dazed, crawled into the casemate to extinguish burning
materials in dangerous proximity to a considerable amount of powder, thus preventing
further explosions.
