BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — During the summer – and especially in the days leading up to the Fourth of July – the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) makes an effort to point out past water polo players (varsity and/or club) who have excelled in fields out of the water following their tenures in the sport.
On such story belongs to Colonel Brookner West Brady – a former water polo player at the United States Military Academy and an Olympian – although in a different sport.
Born on January 1, 1905, in Washington, D.C., Brady graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1926, where he was on the swim team and played water polo. He came from a military family, as his father was in the West Point class of 1897, and Brady spent his life in the Army.
In 1932, he was a member of the United States Olympic Team at the games in Los Angeles as the former swimmer and water polo athlete at Army finished in 11th place.
Prior to World War II he served at Fort Hamilton and Fort Wadsworth, New York and in Arlington, Virginia, where he helped organize the new Provost Marshall General’s school as assistant commandant. In World War II, Brady served as Provost Marshall to General George Patton in the North Africa landings. He later became commander of the 339th Infantry Regiment of the 85th Infantry Custer Division, which pursued Nazis across the Amaseno River and into the hills west of Priverno, Italy in May 1944.
After the war Brady served as Inspector General of the 6th US Army at the Presidio in San Francisco, where he retired. Upon his military retirement, Brady spent a year at San Francisco State University obtaining a teaching degree and then taught electronics, math, and mechanical drawing at Mission High School and also at the City College of San Francisco.
His son – Brookner West Brady, Jr. – achieved his own note of fame by earning a Carnegie Hero Fund award, which noted:
“As a 15-year old schoolboy, he assisted in an attempt to rescue A. Barry L. Wilson, 17, schoolboy, from a shark attack and drowning, Pacific Grove, California, December 7, 1952. While Barry was swimming in deep water in Monterey Bay near a steep rocky promontory, he was attacked by a 12-foot shark that seized his legs and pulled him near the surface. He rose bleeding profusely from severe wounds of the legs and began screaming for help, attracting Brookner, who was swimming 40 feet from him. Brookner upon approaching Barry saw that the water was discolored by blood and was warned by Barry that the shark still was nearby. As he obtained a hold on Barry, Brookner felt turbulence in the water and observed the shark moving beneath them as if to resume its attack. Brookner feared to try to land with Barry in the heavy surf at the base of the promontory. Kicking his feet as hard as he could to discourage further attacks by the shark, Brookner swam towing Barry through swells three to six feet high toward an adjoining cove. After progressing 45 feet, Brookner noticed that Barry had become unconscious and that his head had submerged. Ceasing to swim, Brookner drew Barry’s head above the surface and trod water supporting him. Swimming in a group 300 feet away, John L. Poskus, Roy Franklin Ambrosio, and two men who were members of the military reached Brookner and relieved him of Barry. Brookner, who had been alone with Barry for seven minutes, told the others that Barry had been attacked by a shark. The men had with them a 100-foot rope attached to an inflated automobile tire tube. Placing the tube over Barry’s head, the men drew the tube downward to his waist. They felt Barry’s body jerk abruptly and sighted the shark as it passed beneath their legs. All saw that Barry again had been attacked and that his legs were badly torn and mangled. Poskus swam ahead of the group and pulled the rope taut as Ambrosio and the other men obtained holds on the tire tube and pushed it toward the cove. Unable to be of further assistance, Brookner swam to the base of the promontory, where he gained footing on a jagged reef and climbed from the water. As they entered the cove with Barry, Ambrosio and the servicemen again sighted the shark, which passed by them at a depth of several feet and headed in the direction of Poskus but did not reappear. Poskus, Ambrosio, and the others repeatedly were buffeted by the swells but slowly progressed 1,000 feet towing Barry and reached a pier. Climbing out of the water, the men carried Barry to shore. Barry was pronounced dead by a physician.”
Barry, Sr., died in San Francisco on March 22, 1977, and was buried at San Francisco National Cemetery.
