Charles P. Bailey (pilot)
Charles P. Bailey Sr. | |
---|---|
Born | Charles Phillip Bailey November 25, 1918 Cincinnati College of Embalming |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1942–1947 |
Charles Phillip Bailey Sr. (November 25, 1918 – April 1, 2001) was a
For his heroics during
Early life
Bailey was born on November 25, 1918, in Punta Gorda, Florida.[4] Known to his family and friends as "Phillip", Bailey was the son of Archie Bailey and Josephine Bailey.[3] Bailey grew up in a home on the corner of Punta Gorda's East Virginia Avenue and Wood Street with his eight siblings.
As a child, Charles P. Bailey delivered Punta Gorda, Florida's local Charlotte Herald newspaper in his neighborhood.[3] During rampant racial segregation in the American South and in Deland, Bailey attended elementary and middle school at Punta Gorda, Florida's Baker Academy.[3] Since Punta Gorga did not allow African Americans to attend its high school, Bailey moved with family out of town to attend high school at the all-African American Howard Academy in Ocala, Florida where he excelled in academics and football.[3][4][5]
After graduation, Bailey attended the
Military career
In August 1942, Bailey enlisted in the
In Fall 1943, the
Flying his beloved P-40 Warhawk “Josephine" aircraft named after his mother, Bailey shot down two
During one of his aerial missions over the
In 1947, Bailey left the military with the rank of
Post-Military
Bailey reenrolled at
In 1995, doctors diagnosed Bailey with Alzheimer's disease.
Family
Bailey and his six male siblings have been called the "Fighting Bailey Brothers", as the men, along with their two sisters, all served in the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and/or the Vietnam War.[4][5][19][20]
- Maurice M. Bailey (1906–1990): The eldest brother and Florida A&M University graduate served as a sergeant with the “Red Ball Express,” a predominantly African American outfit that supplied frontline white troops with munitions, food and fuel in World War II's European Theater. Also a veteran of the Korean War, Maurice was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Paul Bailey (1922–1987): As a
- Berlin J. Bailey (1912–1997): As a South Pacific.[21]
- Harding C. Bailey (1920–1984): As an E-5 electrician's mate 2nd class, Harding served in the Mediterranean aboard the World War II destroyer escort USS Mason, the first Navy ship with a predominantly African American crew.[21]
- Carl A. Bailey (1929–1957): The first African American jet pilot from Florida, the Florida A&M University graduate and his brother Arthur were the only of the Bailey Brothers not to engage in combat. At age 28, Carl was killed in a car accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina while on vacation from the military.[22][21]
- Arthur J. Bailey (1925-1959): A corporal in the US Marine Corps, Arthur served on Iwo Jima during World War II.[23]
In 1946, Bailey married Bessie L. Fitch Bailey (June 25, 1915 - December 6, 2008), a
Honors
- In 2000, the City of Deland, Florida honored Bailey with a bronze plaque.[6]
- In 2007, a new terminal at Punta Gorda Airport was named in honor of Bailey and his brothers.[5]
- In 2007, the City of Deland dedicated a bronze memorial bust of Bailey at the DeLand Naval Air Station Museum. Bailey's wife Bessie and fellow Tuskegee Airmen buddy Hiram Mann attended.[25] Commissioned by Jim and Beverly Outlaw, the bust was made by artist Ralph Batten.[26]
Commendations
Badge | Pilot Badge | ||
---|---|---|---|
1st Row | Distinguished Flying Cross[4] | oak leaf clusters
|
Presidential Unit Citation[4] |
2nd Row | American Campaign Medal | European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster | World War II Victory Medal |
Death
Bailey passed away on October 14, 2001, in DeLand, Florida. He was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Daytona Beach, Florida.[15]
See also
- Executive Order 9981
- List of Tuskegee Airmen
- List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
- Military history of African Americans
References
- ^ "332nd Fighter Group". www.americanairmuseum.com. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "Charles Bailey; a Tuskegee Airman in World War II". Los Angeles Times. 14 April 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "area2". Blanchard House Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Charles Phillip Bailey, Sr". CAF Rise Above. 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b c "Charles P Bailey Sr - SamePassage". 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b "Black History Spotlight on... Charles P. Baily Sr". Orlando Sentinel. 9 February 2001. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Punta Gorda hero's warbird on display at Air Show". Charlotte County Florida Weekly. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "National Museum of the United States Army". www.thenmusa.org. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF Rise Above. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF Rise Above. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Eagleson II, Wilson | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "Shadow box". airforce.togetherweserved.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e Dokosi, Michael Eli (2020-05-06). "Lt. Charles P. Bailey Sr., the fighter pilot who was saved by a Bible in his flight suit". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". digitalgems.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b "Charles P Bailey | American Air Museum". www.americanairmuseum.com. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "J. E. Cusack Mortuary | Deland & Leesburg, FL Funeral Home & Cremation". www.cusackmortuary.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Yen. Online News Portal. "Lt. Charles Bailey Snr: The fighter pilot who was saved by a Bible in his flight suit." Nathaniel Crabbe. May 08, 2020. https://yen.com.gh/156055-lt-charles-bailey-snr-the-fighter-pilot-saved-by-a-bible-flight-suit-photo.html." https://yen.com.gh/156055-lt-charles-bailey-snr-the-fighter-pilot-saved-by-a-bible-flight-suit-photo.html
- ^ "Charles Bailey; a Tuskegee Airman in World War II". Los Angeles Times. 2001-04-14. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Little Known Black History Fact: Charles P. Bailey, Sr". Black America Web. 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "Charles Bailey, Pilot, and Teacher born". African American Registry. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c d War Tales. "Last of the 7 Bailey Brothers was Tuskegee Airman." Don Moore. https://donmooreswartales.com/2010/03/21/bailey-brothers/#:~:text=Lt.%20Charles%20Bailey%2C%20Sr.%20was%20the%20last%20of,Korea%20and%20much%20of%20the%2020%20th%20Century.
- ^ Herald-Tribune. "Arts Council seeking artists." Posted May 23, 2008. https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20080523/News/605218111/SH
- ^ "The Bailey Brothers: Bronze Warriors for Freedom". Charlotte County Democrats. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ a b c "Bessie Bailey Obituary (2008) - Daytona Beach, FL - Daytona Beach News-Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Hatfield, Pat (2008-10-22). "World War II — Hiram Mann: Tuskegee Airman". West Volusia Beacon. Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
- ^ Delandings - DeLand Naval Air Station Museum, DeLand. "WWII Tuskegee Airmen." Florida February 2016. https://www.delandnavalairmuseum.org/newsletters/delandings-february-16.pdf