Rear Admiral Harold Gardner Bradbury, Unites States Coast Guard, was graduated from Port Angeles, Washington, High School, and briefly attended Oregon Agricultural College before being appointed to the Coast Guard Academy as a cadet on January 10, 1918.
He was commissioned an ensign in the Coast Guard on October 1, 1920, and assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Algonquin. In September 1923, he was assigned to the Cutter Acushnet, serving aboard that ship until December 1924, when he was ordered to the Destroyer Henley. From February to October, 1927, h served aboard the Destroyer Trippe, and then was assigned to Base Two, New York, until May 1928, when he became commanding officer of the Cutter Apache. In December 1930, he was transferred to Oakland, Calif., as executive officer of the Cutter Shoshone when she was placed in commission.
Four months later, Rear Admiral Bradbury was assigned to the Cutter Northland in a similar capacity, and served until January 1933, when he was ordered to New London, Conn., to take command of the Destroyer Davis. When the Davis was decommissioned, he became instructor in navigation at the Coast Guard Academy, remaining there from June 1933 to 1937, when he took command of the Cutter Modoc. He was detached from the Modoc in August 1939, and assigned to St. Louis, Mo., as Chief of Staff of the 2nd Coast Guard District. In February 1940, he returned to the Shoshone as commanding officer and served that capacity until the vessel was decommissioned and turned over to England at the New York Navy Yard in May, 1941.
One month later, Rear Admiral Bradbury took command of the Coast Guard-manned transport U.S.S. Leonard Wood, and in May 1942, he was assigned in a similar capacity to the U.S.S. Wakefield. He took command of the Cutter Duane in January, 1943. In April, while the vessel was assisting the Cutter Spencer in escorting an Atlantic convoy, they succeeded in sinking a German submarine.
In September 1943, Rear Admiral Bradbury was transferred to Brisbane, Australia, as Officer in Charge of the Coast Guard's Southwest Pacific Merchant Marine Detail, moving his headquarters to Hollandia in November, 1944. His outstanding service in the performance of this duty won him the Bronze Star Medal, awarded by the Secretary of the Navy. Detached from that assignment on January 17, 1945, Rear Admiral Bradbury returned to the United States and became assistant District Coast Guard Officer and then Chief of Staff, 3rd Coast Guard District, New York. In December 1948, he was assigned to Boston, Mass., as Chief of Staff, 1st Coast Guard District, becoming District commander in June 1950.
After receiving a commission as an Ensign on 1 October 1920, he was promoted in rank as follows: Lieutenant (jg), 19 October 1920; Lieutenant, 12 January 1923; Lieutenant Commander, 1 October 1928; Commander, 5 August 1939; Captain, 18 June 1942; and Rear Admiral, 18 July 1950.
He married the former Mrs. Helen Hutchinson of Hamilton, Mass., on January 6, 1953.