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World War II Honoree

World War II Veteran

Clarence M. Bailey

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

Survivors of the USS Block Island CVE-21

Branch Seal
Activity During WWII

SERVED ABOARD BOTH OF THE USS BLOCK ISLAND SHIPS, CVE-21 AND CVE-106 AS CHIEF CARPENTER. HE WAS AWARDED THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS MEDAL FOR ACTIONS IN THE SINKING OF CVE-21 ON THE NIGHT OF MAY 29, 1944 IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. RISKED HIS LIFE A NUMBER OF TIMES THAT NIGHT TRYING TO FREE A SAILOR'S LEG THAT HAD BEEN CAUGHT BETWEEN THE FORWARD CATWALK AND THE SHIP'S STRUCTURE BY HANGING OUT OVER THE WRECKED PORT SIDE IN ATTEMPTS TO SPRING THE MAN FREE. THE MAN'S LEG HAD TO BE AMPUTATED.