World War II Honoree

Shirley Eugene Bailey

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Charleston, West Virginia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private. On August 23, 1943, he entered the United States Army with his induction at Huntington, West Virginia. Served as a combat medic in Company-G, Eighth Infantry Regiment, and a subordinate unit of the Fourth Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operations. His division participated in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest against the German Armed forces (Battle Dates: September 19-December 16, 1944). Reported missing in Action Wednesday, November 29, 1944 while giving aid to a wounded soldier. Later his missing in action status was amended to read killed in action. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, a Quartermaster Graves Registration Company, Quartermaster Corps conducted recovery operations from a grave near Schlich, Germany. The remains could not be positively identified, and were interred as an unknown at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium. In June of 2017 a Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command investigation team disinterred the unknown. The remains were transferred to the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska were he was identified. The remains of this Soldier were interred with Military Honors, December 1, 2017 at the Donnel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery in Dunbar, West Virginia. He received the following awards posthumously: Silver Star, Bronze Star and the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster. The Silver Star was awarded for Distinguished Gallantry in Action and Valor in Combat against an enemy force. The Bronze Star, awarded for Bravery, Act of Merit and Meritorious Service in Combat. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.