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I would like to take a moment to tell you about two men who played a part in keeping this country free over half a century ago. JL Bailey is my maternal grandmothers brother, making him my great uncle. Dewey Bailey was my grandmothers cousin. I never had the opprotunity to meet either of these men, but I am proud to be a small branch on their family tree. Their stories are incredible and heroic, sad and heart wrenching. After reading them, I hope you see why I wear this badge of pride and felt the need to create this page so they will long be remembered.
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JL Bailey was raised in the small Texas town of Menard. Like many young men, he was called to duty in 1942 as the United States entered World War 2.
He served his country well and rose to the rank of Tech Sergeant by the time of the D-Day invasion in Normandy. As years have passed and family stories fade in memory, we are not certain of which beach in Normandy he led his men onto, but it was here that he became a true hero.
As they pushed their way onto the beach and dug what kind of hole they could for protection, one of the men was shot in th leg and lay in the open helpless. JL was their leader and could have sent one of the others to retrieve the wounded soldier, but instead took it upon himself to save the man. Just as he got back to their hole with the man, JL was shot in the back and in the head. He still managed to pull the man into the hole before blacking out. JL Bailey lived for several days despite the serious wound, however in the end he still lost his life, dieing in a hospital in England. The man whom he saved visited JL's father after the war was over and told him the story, saying that JL died saving his life.
The picture above is a cropped version of a photo taken shortly before JL left for the war in 1942. After he was killed in action, the US Army sent this picture with a solid oak frame to my great-grandfather. The original picture now hangs in my living room and is still in the original frame.
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Dewey Bailey also joined the US Army as the United States entered World War 2. However, his story takes a horrible turn as sometime during his tour he was captured by the enemy and placed in a German POW camp.
In this camp, the prisoners were forced to work in mines, brought from their makeshift bunks before sunrise in the morning and kept there until after the sun had gone down at night. For six long months, Dewey and the other prisoners had not even seen the sun.
Dewey and the others noticed during this time that, little by little, the guards were getting fewer in number. Later, they would learn that the Germans were pulling guards from the POW camps to fight on the front lines. Eventually, the captured soldiers started to plan an escape. When they felt the time was right, they jumped the guards in the mine and easily overtook them. However, that was only half the battle. As they ran from the mines into the camp, they were blinded by the sunlight they hadn't seen in half a year. There would be no way they could fight off guards they couldn't even see.
This part of the story does not have a tragic ending. Like the climax of a dramatic movie, Dewey and the other blinded soldiers had unknowingly attempted their escape at the same time United States forces were liberating the POW camp. Instead of running into sure death, they ran into the arms of freedom.
Much of Dewey's story is blurred by time. Dewey apparently didn't like to talk about the war, and understandably so. Many in the family believe he left a part of his sanity in that POW camp. He lived his life quietly after returning home and died in the late '60's at veterans hospital in Dallas.
Please help to keep the memory of these men and all World War 2 veterans alive. Never forget their sacrifice. Never forget their heroism. God bless America, and God bless our veterans.
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