Allen Brady was born in 1929 in San Diego, California. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1947, and was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy on June 1, 1951. His first assignment was as a Signal Officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Palau (CVE-122) from July 1951 to May 1952, followed by flight school, receiving his designation as a Naval Aviator in June 1953. LT Brady served as an AD-6 Skyraider pilot with VA-95 at NAS Alameda, California, and aboard the aircraft carriers USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) and USS Hornet (CV-12) from July 1953 to March 1955, and then as an AD-4 Skyraider pilot with VA-216 at NAS Moffett Field, California, and aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) from April 1955 to October 1956. His next assignment was as a Test Pilot with the Naval Air Special Weapons Facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from November 1956 to September 1959, followed by Aviation Safety Officer School from October to December 1959. LCDR Brady attended A4D-2 Skyhawk replacement pilot training from January to April 1960, and then served as an A4D-2 pilot and Safety Officer with VA-36 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida, and aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60) from May 1960 to October 1961. His next assignment was as an Air Operations Staff Officer with the Commander of Carrier Division 6 from November 1961 to June 1963, followed by U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, from July 1963 to June 1965. CDR Brady served as an Operations Analyst with the Naval Ordnance Test Station at China Lake, California, from July 1965 to May 1966, and then attended A-6 Intruder replacement pilot training with VA-42 at NAS Oceana, Virginia, from June to September 1966. His next assignment was as an A-6A pilot and Executive Officer of VA-85 at NAS Oceana and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from September 1966 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on January 19, 1967. After spending 2,237 days in captivity, CAPT Brady was released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, followed by service on the Staff of the Commander, U.S. Naval Air Force, Atlantic Fleet from October 1973 to August 1974. His next assignment was as Commander of Medium Attack Wing ONE at NAS Oceana from August 1974 to June 1976, and then on the staff of the Chief of Naval Education and Training at NAS Pensacola, Florida, from July 1976 until his retirement from the Navy on October 1, 1979.

His Silver Star Citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam on 19 January 1967. His captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.