The 50th anniversary of Bill Bailey’s aircraft being shot down in Vietnam, his capture and imprisonment for five and a half years was remembered Wednesday morning, June 28, with a gathering on the north side of the courthouse square.
Some of Bailey’s family members, friends, city and county officials attended the Bill Bailey Day program marking the anniversary of his capture. Bailey was unable to attend because of a previous commitment. His sister, Rita Bailey Brown of Kosciusko, was in attendance.
Flags at Kosciusko City Hall and at the Chancery Building were flown in honor of Bailey. A proclamation declaring Bill Bailey Day was presented. Board of Supervisors President Kary Ellington made the presentation of a flag to Mrs. Brown.
The group was welcomed by Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and prayer was offered by Rev. Junior Davis, pastor of Williamsville Baptist Church.
Brig. Gen. Donny Sims, USAF (retired), recalled Bailey’s service years.
“We refuse to forget what he endured,” he said.
The Attala County native entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1964. He was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Nav and attended Radar Instercept Officeer training and then F-4 Phantom II Replacement Air Group training before being assigned to NAS Miramar, Calif. in 1965.
Bailey was deployed to Southeast Asia in 1966. He was awarded the first of two distinguished Flying Crosses in 1966 for his heroic actions after encountering intense anti-aircraft fire against his aircraft. On June 28, 1967, he was flying an Alpha strike mission for Operation Rolling Thunder when his aircraft was shot down and he was taken captive. He spent the next 2,063 days as a prisoner of war.
Bailey’s sister expressed thanks to organizers of Bill Bailey Day and for support during the years following his capture.
Since retirement from the Navy in 1988, Bailey has had a career in education serving as assistant principal of a public high school in Anderson, S.C. for 17 years. He and his wife live in Henderson, S.C., where they are volunteers with the American Red Cross.
