Utah Carl Brady

Utah, who was named after “Wanderer of the Wasteland” singer Utah Carl Beach, was born November 21, 1934 to Gladys and Marion Frances Brady, Jr., the youngest of seven children, on his family’s 200-acre farm on the outskirts of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. At the tender age of two months, tragedy struck the Brady family when a severe flu epidemic swept through the state, claiming the lives of his father, his grandfather, and his brother Alvis Rudolph. In 1944, his 22-year-old brother Melton was killed in action while fighting in France, and his uncle was wounded and shipped to a hospital in England. In 1946, his 22-year-old sister Jessie Launa died during childbirth. Utah’s mother remarried and settled down on a farm in southeast Missouri.

At age 14, Utah met a pretty young lady of 13 – Elizabeth Anne Kellick – and married her three years later.

In 1953 at age 18, Utah put on the Army uniform and spent the next 25 years serving his country. He qualified as Expert with all small-arms weapons and in 1954 was top scorer in the 153rd Infantry Regiment with the Army Colt 45 automatic and M1 carbine. While serving as a Squad Leader in the 1st Battle Group, 23rd Infantry in the Territory of Alaska, he was an instructor in Mountain Climbing, Physical Fitness, and Firearms. While in Alaska, he and Anne had twins – Anthony Wayne and Linda Elizabeth – who, sadly, did not survive.

Utah attended the United States Armed Forces Institute as a student during the morning and taught afternoon classes. He enrolled in the University of New Mexico at Las Cruces and at Troy University at Troy, Alabama, taking courses in American History, Accounting, English, and Speech. In the 1950’s, he served a tour in the Korean War.

While serving in the enlisted ranks, he was promoted to Sergeant First Class E-7 and on December 15, 1964 was appointed as a United States Army Warrant Officer. In 1968, Utah arrived in the Republic of Vietnam, assigned to the 25th Division, 3rd Squadron, 4th Calvary Armored Reconnaissance. His unit’s mission was to patrol the border of Cambodia and prevent the North Vietnamese Army from entering the South. Due to the constant engagement with the North Vietnamese, his unit had one of the highest casualty rates of all the armored units. Utah’s luck ran out in June 1969 when he was wounded in an engagement in the Bolo Woods, Tay Nihn Province. For his service in Vietnam, he was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, 2 Bronze Stars, and the Purple Heart. The highlight of his career was being one of the 67 Warrants chosen out of 13,000 to attend the newly established Warrant Office Academy located at Fort Rucker, Alabama where he graduated with his fellow officers in June 1973 as Warrant Officer Academy Class No. 1.

From 1974 to 1978, the U.S. State Department picked Utah to serve with our Foreign Embassies as a Team Leader, training foreign armies in Tank Gunnery, Tank Tactics, and Logistics.

During his career, Utah received 21 medals and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Four on August 1, 1978. Upon retirement, the Department of the Army presented Anne with a Certificate of Appreciation. He and Anne relocated to Houston, Texas following his retirement from the Army. On a subsequent trip back to Bloomfield to visit relatives, he donated his Army uniform to The Stars and Stripes National Museum in Bloomfield, Missouri.

The gal that Utah was always leaving behind maintained their home and raised their two children, Gary Wayne and Brenda Diane Ledbetter.

After being retired for five months (and a strong suggestion from Anne for him to get out of the house), Utah went to work as a police officer with the Airport Police at Hobby Airport which later was combined with the Houston Police Department. In 1981, the One Hundred Club of Houston picked him as Officer of the Year and presented him with a Certificate, Plaque, and a gold Rolex wristwatch. The Certificate read in part: saved a life, wrote 1800 moving citations, and only lost one in court, won all jury trials that year, and recovered over $100,000 worth of stolen equipment.

Utah joined the Albert J. DeLange Lodge, passed his Master Masons Examination in January 1983, and served the Lodge for many long years thereafter.

Utah was preceded in death by Anne, his wife of 63 years; brother Oscar; and sisters Oliza Yennona and Alice Lenore. He is survived by son Gary Brady (Debi), daughter Brenda Ledbetter (Jimmy), grandson Joe Brady, and numerous grandchildren.

A visitation is set for 10AM on Friday, September 19, 2025 at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home. A burial will follow at 2PM at Houston National Cemetery.