Alvin John Bradley was born February 20, 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Frank Bradley (1878-1938) and Francis Nadoh (1886-1959). The 1920 U.S. Census records his mother and father were from "Slovakland" (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovens) and came to the United States in 1912. His father's obituary (Cooperstown, Freeman's Journal, May 4, 1938, pg. 2) reported his dad was from Austria. His birth record reported his mom was from Austria.   His dad was a farmer. He had a younger sister Emma and an older brother Frank. The 1930 U.S. Census recorded the family living on Christian Hill Road near Cooperstown, NY. The 1940 U.S. Census recorded him still in Cooperstown, NY and being a laborer on a dairy farm. The same 1940 Census recorded he completed 8th grade. He lived with him mom who was a widow by then, his dad having died on May 2, 1938 in Oneonta, NY.

He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 in Cooperstown, NY. Enlistment records from the National Archives recorded him having enlisted in the Army Air Corp. on October 15, 1941 in Utica NY with service number 12029910. (A local newspaper account reported his enlistment date as December 15, 1941 which seems more likely given it is just after Pearl Harbor.) He reported being single at the time and having completed three years of high school (different than was recorded on the 1940 U.S. Census). He was 6' tall and weighed 160 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

Cpl. Bradley joined the 9th AAF at Morrison Field, Florida just before they moved to Australia in February 1942. From there they went onto Port Moresby, New Guinea in Oct 1942. It is while they are at Port Moresby that Cpl. Bradley is killed. U.S. Army Hospital Admission records indicate that on December 11,1942 he is shot by a pistol while in New Guinia [sic]. Military records noted his death was "non-battle". A local newspaper reported his death was December 12, 1942 and that he was " killed in the discharge of his duty". The New York Times headlines for that day included an article on the Japanese being repulsed at Buna (near Port Moresby).

His remains are initially buried in the USAF Cemetery, Port Moresby, New Guinea, grave #28. Later, on January 25, 1949, his remains were reburied in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, Row (Section) C, Site 877. He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3770211/alvin-j-bradley: accessed 10 August 2023), memorial page for CPL Alvin J Bradley (20 Feb 1914–11 Dec 1942), Find a Grave Memorial ID 3770211, citing National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA; Maintained by R Burnett (contributor 47445819).

Freeman's Journal, Cooperstown, NY, May 4, 1938, pg. 2

Individual Deceased Personnel File for Alvin Bradley 12029910, National Archives, St. Louis, MI. 

National Archives and Records Administration. Office of Records Services - Washington, D.C. Modern Records Programs. Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division. (1998 - ) (Most Recent) , World War II Army Enlistment Records, created, 6/1/2002 - 9/30/2002, documenting the period ca. 1938 - 1946

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 14

New York Times, December 11, 1942, pg. 1 headline clipping. 

US, WWII Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954, Record Group 112: Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), 1775 – 1994.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Otsego, Otsego, New York; Roll: T625_1256; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 220

Supporting Documents: