World War II Honoree

Ernest Lee Bailey

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps July 6, 1942 with induction at Washington, District of Columbia. He completed basic training with the Ninth Recruit Battalion Recruit Depot; Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his graduation from basic, he was designated to attend the Marine Flight Aviation Training Program Location: Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. He served as a Photographer abroad the PB4Y-1 ‘Liberator’ Patrol Bomber, assigned to the Marine Photographic Squadron VMD-154, Marine Aircraft Group-15, an element of the First Marine Aircraft Wing. His unit was based at the Espiritu Santo Naval Base Location: Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, South Pacific Theater of Operations. Sunday, February 7, 1943 he was reported missing in action, lost at sea when the Pilot took off from Espiritu Santo for the first leg of a photographic mission to Truk Island. The aircraft on take-off plunged into the sea 600 yards offshore of the airstrip. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Honolulu Memorial Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.