George Francis Grady was born on 28 April 1920 in New York City. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 11 October 1938. Assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Corporal Grady was killed in action on Gavutu, Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942. 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. Grady was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.