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BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) seeks to find stories on water polo athletes from the league’s institutions who have made a mark outside the water.

An American modern pentathlete and United States Army colonel, Brookner West Brady (January 1, 1905 – March 22, 1977) was a native of Washington, D.C., and graduated from the United State 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.

Prior to World War II, Brady 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 1932, he competed in the Olympic games hosted in Los Angeles and finished 11th in the Modern Pentathlon.

During World War II, he took part in landing invasions at Casablanca and Sicily while serving 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.  He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, and a Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with palm.

Following World War II, he served as the American military attaché in Bulgaria during 1949. He then served in the same position in Ankara in 1950 and 1951. Further, 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.

He passed away in 1977 at the age of 72.

Collegiate Water Polo Association