Bailey, Joseph D

Joseph Bailey

Find A Grave Index

Quick Facts

Significance:

US Army Sergeant First Class Special Forces

Place of Birth:

Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Date of Birth:

December 10th, 1937

Place of Death:

Vietnam

Date of Death:

October 20th, 1965

Place of Burial:

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Cemetery Name:

Stones River National Cemetery

Joseph Daniel Bailey was born on December 10, 1937 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He enlisted in the United States Army and began his tour on April 21, 1965. He served as a Sergeant First Class specializing in Infantry Operations and Intelligence. He was part of Special Forces, Company B. While serving in Vietnam he was reported missing and ultimately declared dead on October 20, 1965.

A newspaper article from the Scranton Times dated October 23, 1965, reported on Bailey's last moments: "Five hundred Viet Cong guerrillas surrounded Plei Me Tuesday night. Wednesday they hit the camp in force with mortar and machinegun fire. The garrison of about 300 U.S.-trained Montagnard tribesmen and a handful of American soldiers was ready. Bailey raised the miniature Stars and Stripes on to the tin-roofed, bamboo-sided quarters of the U.S. advisers. "If we've got to go down," he said, "go down under our own colors." Minutes later Bailey was dead. He went out with Capt. Harold M. Moore of Pekin, Ill., and SP 4 Daniel Shea, a medic from Boston, Mass., to search for the crew of a helicopter Viet Cong had blasted out of the The four Americans in the helicopter had perished in the Small arms fire killed Bailey. The captain and the medic, himself wounded, carried the body back into the camp. Let's keep that flag up there," Moore said." 

Bailey was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal due to his service. Bailey is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC on panel 02e, Line 127.

Joseph Bailey is buried in the Stones River National Cemetery in plot P-6517.

*Information primarily found on Find A Grave Index

Tags: stones river national battlefield, stones river national cemetery, vietnam war