Awarded the Navy Cross medal

Assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Corporal Grady was killed in action

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

 on Gavutu

Gavutu

Gavutu is a small islet in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands, some 500 metres in length. It is one of the Nggela Islands....

, Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

, 7 August 1942. Cpl. Grady charged an entrenched group of eight Japanese soldiers. Firing his submachine gun he killed two before his gun jammed. Using the inoperable gun as a club he bludgeoned one enemy soldier to death. He then withdrew his knife from his sheath and killed two more enemy soldiers before himself being killed by the other three. For his courage and self-sacrifice, Grady was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross

Navy Cross

The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...

.

Namesake

Grady (DE-445)

USS Grady (DE-445)

USS Grady was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket...

 was launched by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, 2 April 1944; sponsored by Miss Margaret Grady, sister of the namesake; and commissioned 11 September 1944, Lt. Comdr. Francis R. King in command.