BRADLEY, OMAR N(ELSON)

born Feb. 12, 1893, Clark, Mo., U.S. died April 8, 1981, New York, N.Y. U.S. Army officer who commanded the highly effective 12th Army Group, which helped ensure the Allied victory over Germany during World War II; later he served as first chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (194953). Bradley graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1915. He served as commandant of the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga., at the opening of World War II and later commanded the 82nd and 28th divisions. After being placed at the head of the II Corps for the North African campaign, he captured Bizerte, Tun., in May 1943, contributing directly to the fall of Tunisia and the surrender of more than 250,000 Axis troops. He then led his forces in the Sicilian invasion, which was successfully concluded in August. Later in 1943 Bradley was transferred to Great Britain and given command of the U.S. 1st Army, taking part in planning the invasion of France. In June 1944 he joined his troops in the assault on the Normandy beaches and in the initial battles on the mainland. One of the most memorable episodes in that summer's fighting was the symbolic liberation of Paris (August 25) by Bradley's forces following the spontaneous uprising of the city's population earlier that month. At the same time, he was elevated to command the U.S. 12th Army Group and, with the largest force ever placed under an American group commander, successfully carried on operations in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and Czechoslovakia until the end of European hostilities. After the German surrender, Bradley returned to the United States to serve as administrator of veterans' affairs (194547) and chief of staff of the army (194849). He was well liked by both officers and enlisted men and, after the unification of the armed forces, was chosen in 1949 as the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While at that post he was promoted (1950) to General of the Army. After retiring from the army in 1953, Bradley was active in private enterprise. In 1951 he published his reminiscences, A Soldier's Story. A General's Life (with Clay Blair) was published in 1983.