World War II Honoree

Jack L. Bailey

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Nitro, West Virginia

Honored By

Jack L. Bailey, Jr.

Relationship

Son

ENLISTED (AGE 19) IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE ON NOVEMBER 6, 1942 AT CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. SWORN IN DECEMBER 13, 1942 AT FORT THOMAS, KENTUCKY. BEGAN BASIC TRAINING IN MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA ON DECEMBER 17, 1942. GRADUATED GUNNERY SCHOOL AT BUCKINGHAM FIELD ON FEBRUARY 13, 1943. ADDITIONAL TRAINING AT AIRPLANE MECHANIC SCHOOL, SEYMOUR JOHNSON FIELD IN GOLDSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. TOOK ADVANCED TRAINING AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH ON JULY 13, 1943; PHASE TRAINING AT PYOTE, TEXAS AND DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE ON JULY 29, 1943. RECEIVED OVERSEAS DUTY ASSIGNMENTS IN TOPEKA, KANSAS; GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA; KEARNEY, NEBRASKA AND CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY. SENT TO SALISBURY PLAINS AND THORPE ABBOTT, ENGLAND, WHERE HE SERVED IN THE 100TH BOMB GROUP (HEAVY) (BLOODY 100TH) AND THE 349TH BOMB SQUAD AS STAFF SERGEANT. SHOT DOWN OVER GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 10, 1944. WAS INTERRED AS POW AT DULAG LUFT IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY; STALAG LUFT VI AND IV FOR 15 MONTHS. SURVIVED THE MARCH OF ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR IN NORTHERN GERMANY, 87 DAYS THAT COVERED OVER 600 MILES IN FREEZING WEATHER. LIBERATED BY ALLIED FORCES ON APRIL 26, 1945 IN GERMANY. RECEIVED THE POW MEDAL, AIR MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.