World War II Honoree

Elwood R. Bailey

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Parma, Michigan

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Second Lieutenant. On June 26, 1941, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from Michigan. His boot camp training took place with the Fifth Recruit Battalion, Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California. After the completion of boot camp, he was accepted into the Flight Aviation Training program. Served as a Grumman F4-F ‘Wildcat’ Fighter Pilot in the Southwestern Pacific Theater of Operations, Solomon Islands. His unit was based at Henderson Airfield on Guadalcanal, assigned to the Marine Fighting Squadron, VMF-223, Marine Air Group-23 and Second Marine Air Wing. On August 24, 1942 his squadron was scrambled to intercept a Japanese flight of bombers, and fighters that were inbound for Guadalcanal. During this aerial ‘dog-fight’ duel, his fighter was hit by enemy aircraft fire, and he bailed out over the occupied island of Tulagi. Reported missing in action on the day of this combat engagement, as he never returned to base. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery in Manila Philippine Islands. Later his missing in action status was amended to read killed in action August 25, 1943. In April of 2015, a local resident, who resided in the Solomon Islands, discovered a burial grave, which contained some remains, American military gear and other artifacts. A recovery team, assigned to the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency in Hawaii, investigated the findings and transferred the remains to their Honolulu laboratory where he was identified. The remains of this Marine were interred with Military Honors, October 13, 2018 at the Chapel Cemetery in Parma, Michigan. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.