World War II Honoree

Kenneth H. Bailey

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Delmar, New York

Honored By

Maggie 'Pocket' Sewell

CORPORAL; JOINED THE U.S. ARMY IN 1942 IN ALBANY, NEW YORK AT TWENTY YEARS OF AGE. INITIALLY, HE WAS SENT TO FORT MEADE, SOUTH DAKOTA, WHERE HE WAS MADE A MEMBER OF THE 4TH CAVALRY REGIMENT. HE WAS THEN SENT TO CAMP YOUNG, CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE CONTINUED DESERT TRAINING FOR COMBAT IN AFRICA. AFTER HOSTILITIES IN AFRICA ENDED, PLANS CHANGED AND HE WAS SENT TO CAMP MAXIE IN PARIS, TEXAS TO BEGIN TRAINING FOR D-DAY. RODE AN M-20 ARMORED CAR AND BECAME THE DRIVER FOR LTC EDWARD DUNN, AND CONTINUED IN THAT CAPACITY UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 1944. HIS UNIT WAS SENT TO FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY TO GO TO ENGLAND TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF EUROPE. IT TOOK 14 DAYS TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC ON THE HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN, A MERCHANT MARINE SHIP OF ENGLAND. IN ENGLAND, HE WAS STATIONED IN SINGLETON AND THEN BRIGHTON BEACH. HE CONTINUED HIS TRAINING FOR SIX MORE MONTHS IN PREPARATION FOR D-DAY. ON JUNE 12, 1944, SIX DAYS AFTER THE NORMANDY INVASION, HE AND LTC DUNN ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE CREW, DROVE THEIR ARMORED CAR OFF AN LST ONTO UTAH BEACH AND BEGAIN THE DRIVE ACROSS EUROPE. WHILE STILL IN FRANCE IN AUGUST 1944 DURING THE MORTAIN COUNTER-ATTACK, HE FOUND HIMSELF BEHIND ENEMY LINES ON LIAISON DUTY WITH TWO BATTALIONS OF INFANTRY, SURROUNDED AND UNDER FIRE BY SS PANZER TANKS. A DRY CREEK BED APPEARED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD; HE DARTED INTO IT AND CONTINUED TO FOLLOW IT, NOW OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE. BEING THAT THERE WAS NO EASY WAY OUT OF THE CREEK BED, THEY STOPPED AND CHOPPED DOWN TREES TO MAKE A RAMP AND CLEAR THE AREA THROUGH WHICH THEY COULD DRIVE. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR FOR HIS ACTIONS DURING THIS COUNTER-ATTACK. HE WAS REASSIGNED AS THE DRIVER OF COLONEL JOHN MACDONALD AND SERVED IN THAT CAPACITY UNTIL A SHORT TIME AFTER THE WAR IN EUROPE ENDED. FOR HIS SERVICE IN 2 CONTINENTS AND 2 THEATERS OF OPERATION, HE WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL FOR MERIT, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL WITH ONE SILVER SERVICE STAR FOR NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, ARDENNES-ALSACE, CENTRAL EUROPE AND RHINELAND CAMPAIGNS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH GERMANY CLASP, NEW YORK STATE CONSPICUOUS SERVICE CROSS AND STAR AND THE NEW YORK STATE MEDAL FOR MERIT. HE ALSO RECEIVED THE HONORABLE SERVICE PIN AND LOZENGE.