Willis Winter Bradley, Jr.

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Commander [then Lieutenant] Willis Winter Bradley, Jr., United States Navy, 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. Commander Bradley, 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.