James WILLIAM Bailey

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star Medal to James William Bailey (0-684790/1325), Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 28 June to 30 June 1967. Lieutenant Commander Bailey’s captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion, Lieutenant Commander Bailey reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to James William Bailey (0-684790/1325), Lieutenant [then Lieutenant, Junior Grade], U.S. Navy (Reserve), for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 28 June 1967, as Radar Intercept Officer in Fighting Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-THREE (VF-143), during a coordinated strike against the enemy’s valuable petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) storage and transshipment areas at Nam Dinh, North Vietnam. Responsible for the navigation of the strike group to the target, Lieutenant Bailey expertly used the aircraft systems and his own outstanding skills to vector his pilot and place the strike group precisely on their desired run in position to the target. Despite the intensive anti-aircraft barrage and increased surface-to-air missile radar activity, he succeeded in furnishing appropriate information which allowed his pilot to execute a devastating delivery of weapons that completely silenced the major threat to the strike group and enabled the bombers to complete a highly successful attack. With his aircraft hit by enemy fire during the attack, Lieutenant Bailey was last seen ejecting from his crippled plane. His professionalism, courage and dedication were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.