Jim Bradley started out from humble roots, growing up a large family of 11 in a city housing project in Brooklyn, New York. On his 17th Birthday went to the Army Recruiters office and never looked back. He became a Recon Scout and a paratrooper and went on to serve and jump with the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Special Forces. Affected by his time in Vietnam he took another road in life, that of a care giver. He became a EMT/Paramedic, a Nurse and a Physician Assistant. There he went on to served with the 1st Infantry Division, the 3rd Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard) and with assignments in Greece and the Health Services Command.
He rose in rank and education and after 23 years and two graduate degrees, he retired as a Chief Warrant Officer. He has been the recipient of several awards and medical including the Bronze Star, 2 Meritorious Service Medals, 4 Army Commendation Medals, The Achievement Medal, 5 Good Conduct medals, 2 National Defense Service Medals, The Combat Infantry Badge, the Expert Field Medical Badge, the Fight Surgeon Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge. He was also awarded the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross and the Conspicuous Service Star Medals.
Jim serves as the Florida President of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association and he is also a life member of the 3rd Infantry Association (The Old Guard), 82nd Airborne Division Association, the Disabled American Veterans and Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees. He is as a Primary Care Provider with the Veterans Administration and was selected as the “Physician Assistant of the Year” by Corporate Tampa Physician Assistants in 2000 and is currently working the Combat veterans program in the Pasco County VA clinic. He lectures on PTSD, Agent Orange, Ionizing Radiation and the VA (VA 101) for returning veterans and service officers. He has written, “Good, Better, Best”, the 3rd Edition of “Sky Soldiers, and “Words of the Warrior – poems from Vietnam” and in April 2005 he became the “173rd Airborne man of the year.”
In spite of all his accomplishments, his greatest joy is his family. His wife of 35+ years, Elizabeth, who is serving as facilitator of this session today, is also a Nurse at the Veterans Administration.