World War II Honoree

Joseph George Bagley, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

East Chicago, Illinois

Honored By

Margaret A. Wagner

Relationship

Sister

SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY FROM 1942 TO 1975 AS A CHIEF GUNNER'S MATE ABOARD NUMEROUS NAVY COMBAT SHIPS INCLUDING DESTROYERS AND AIRCRAFT CARRIERS - THE MOST DISTINGUISHED OF WHICH INCLUDED USS HORNET (CV-12). WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY WWII COMBAT RECORD, HORNET AND HER CREW ENGAGED THE ENEMY IN THE PACIFIC IN MARCH 1944, JUST 21 MONTHS AFTER THE LAYING OF HER KEEL. FOR EIGHTEEN MONTHS, THE 'GREY GHOST' NEVER TOUCHED LAND AND WAS DEPLOYED IN THE MOST FORWARD AREAS OF THE PACIFIC WAR - SOMETIMES WITHIN 40 MILES OF THE JAPANESE HOMELAND. HER PILOTS DESTROYED 1,410 ENEMY AIRCRAFT AND OVER ONE MILLION TONS OF ENEMY SHIPPING. HER PLANES STOPPED THE JAPANESE SUPER-BATTLESHIP YAMATO AND PLAYED THE MAJOR ROLE IN SINKING HER. SHE LAUNCHED THE FIRST STRIKES IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND IN FEB. 1945, THE FIRST STRIKES ON JAPAN SINCE THE DOOLITTLE RAID IN 1942. HORNET AND HER CREW PARTICIPATED IN VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN THE PACIFIC FROM MARCH 1944 UNTIL THE END OF WWII, EARNING 9 BATTLE STARS AND THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION. IN 1969, HORNET RECOVERED THE APOLLO 11 SPACE CAPSULE CONTAINING ASTRONAUTS NEIL ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN - THE FIRST MEN WHO WALKED ON THE MOON - AND MICHAEL COLLINS. LATER SHE RECOVERED APOLLO 12 WITH THE ALL-NAVY CREW OF 'MOON WALKERS'. THE MODERN AGE NAVY F/A-18 FIGHTER IS NAMED AFTER THIS SHIP WHICH WAS DISTINGUISHED BY THE HEROIC ACTIONS OF HER CREW.