World War II Honoree

Mary Dyer Baizley

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Hoopeston, Illinois

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

WHEN WWII BROKE OUT, SHE MARCHED DOWN TO THE RECRUITING OFFICE AND JOINED THE FIRST CLASS OF WAVES (WOMEN ACCEPTED FOR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE) TO BE TRAINED FOR ACTIVE DUTY IN THE NAVY AT SMITH COLLEGE IN MASSACHUSETTS. SHE WAS AN ENSIGN IN COMMUNICATIONS STATIONED IN CAPE MAY. IN THE WAVES, HER CODE NAME WAS 'MIKE DOG.' BY 1944, SHE WAS 1ST LIEUTENANT, OUTRANKING HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS ALSO IN THE NAVY. SHE ONCE HAD TO PASS ON INFORMATION THAT THE DESTROYER HER HUSBAND WAS ON WAS A DECOY TO DRAW THE ATTENTION OF GERMAN U-BOATS. SHE HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING OUT OF THE NAVY. THEY WANTED TO KEEP HER. SHE WAS DISCHARGED IN 1945, WHEN SHE WAS SO PREGNANT THAT SHE COULDN'T BUTTON HER UNIFORM.