“The year was 1943, I tried to enlist in the Navy with a doctored birth certificate and that old Chief just threw me out and saw right through that. So I waited a week or two, went to the draft board, told them I turned 18 a couple of weeks ago and I just hadn’t had time to come register. They told me that they were sending the police out to my house tomorrow and it was a good thing that I came in. And I figured, well he’s a bigger liar than I am, but it worked,” Lieutenant Commander George M. Bailey remarked to a Navy Memorial film crew during an interview of his Naval career. 

Also present at his interview was his Granddaughter, Sophia Paulos, who, as a gift to her Grandfather, contacted the Navy Memorial and arranged the interview, tour of the Memorial, and registered her Grandfather in the Navy Log. Bailey’s opening remarks highlighting his early experiences of entering the United States Navy at the height of World War II was only the beginning of the story of an astounding 32 years of service. His service career would span three major wars in United States history and would take him from Atlantic War service to Pacific War service, to post war service in aviation, and numerous sea duties.

“I don’t want to say that I was afraid that the war would be over before I could get in it, but it was something like that. My cousins were in the military, my uncles were in the military and I just wanted to take part,” he recalled. One of the most remarkable aspects of his journey was the fact that Bailey was just a little over the age of 14 when he joined the Navy to fight in the war. 

From boot camp he was trained to be an Armed Guard on a Liberty ship called the Sidney Sherman. Bailey shared, "It was very interesting, I was young and I didn't know anything different so it was pretty good." Ferrying ammunition to Europe, the Sidney Sherman faced threats from Nazi Germany and participated in numerous campaigns throughout the Mediterranean Sea. After witnessing ships sink around the Sidney Sherman, he sailed into Naples and observed frequent air attacks during the Anzio landings. Bailey would then be ordered to the Pacific to Okinawa. His Naval career would not end there. From the service fleet, Bailey would go into Aviation during the Cold War Era in Europe, flying out of England to various destinations in the region. Later in his service, Bailey would rejoin the surface fleet aboard the newest Guided Missile Cruiser the USS Albany CG-10. Bailey would also serve as the Liaison Officer, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and much more.

To hear the inspiring story of Lieutenant Commander George M. Bailey, view his entire fourteen part detailed experience that has been digitally archived by the Navy Memorial.

The United States Navy Memorial honors Lieutenant Commander George M. Bailey, featured within the series titled, Stories of Service, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial.