Charles Phillip Bailey Sr. (November 25, 1918 – April 1, 2001) was a

U.S. Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

officer and one of the

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army ...

's most decorated combat fighter pilots. He was

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

's first African American fighter pilot. He flew 133 missions over

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, and was credited with shooting down two enemy aircraft. For his heroics during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

awarded Bailey four Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County. "Charles Philip Bailey." http://www.blanchardhousemuseum.org/area2.html

Early life

Bailey was born on November 25, 1918, in Punta Gorda, Florida.CAF Rise Above. "Charles Phillip Bailey Sr." https://cafriseabove.org/charles-paul-bailey-sr/ Known to his family and friends as "Phillip", Bailey was the son of Archie Bailey and Josephine Bailey. Bailey grew up in a home on the corner of Punta Gorda's East Virginia Avenue and Wood Street with his eight siblings. As a child, Charles P. Bailey delivered Punta Gorda, Florida's local Charlotte Herald newspaper in his neighborhood. During rampant

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

in the American South and in Deland, Bailey attended elementary and middle school at Punta Gorda, Florida's Baker Academy. Since Punta Gorga did not allow African Americans to attend its high school, Bailey moved with family out of town to attend high school at the all-African American Howard Academy in Ocala, Florida where he excelled in academics and football.Same Passage. "Charles P Bailey Sr." https://samepassage.org/charles-p-bailey-sr/ After graduation, Bailey attended the

historically black university Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...

Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he played football on a full scholarship. Though Bailey was interested in becoming a pilot, Bethune-Cookman University did not have its own civil aviation pilot program like fellow HBCUs

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

West Virginia State College West Virginia State University (WVSU) is a public historically black, land-grant university in Institute, West Virginia. Founded in 1891 as the West Virginia Colored Institute, it is one of the original 19 land-grant colleges and universities ...

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

, Hampton University,

Delaware State University Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The university encompasses four colle ...

, and

Virginia State University Virginia State University (VSU or Virginia State) is a public historically Black land-grant university in Ettrick, Virginia. Founded on , Virginia State developed as the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of hi ...

. Fortunately, Bailey had the attentive ear of Bethune-Cookman University's founder

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary Jane McLeod Bethune ( McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, established the organi ...

, a confidante of First Lady of the United States

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's activist wife.Orlando Sentinel. "BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT ON... CHARLES P. BAILEY SR." Darryl E. Owens, The Sentinel Staff. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-02-09-0102080538-story.html Bethune arranged for Bailey to transfer to

to enroll in Tuskegee's stellar aviation program.

Military career

In August 1942, Bailey enlisted in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

. On April 29, 1943, Bailey graduated as a member of the Single Engine Section Cadet Class SE-43-D, receiving his silver wings and commission as a

2nd Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

. The

assigned Bailey to the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron. His classmate included Wilson Vashon "Swampy" Eagleson II (February 1, 1920 - April 16, 2006), one of the

's most prolific combat fighter pilots credited with two confirmed enemy German aerial kills and two probable aerial kills.NCPedia. "Wilson Vash Eagleson II - A Tuskegee Airman 1920 - 2006." Doris McLean Bates. Reprinted with permission from the Tar Heel Junior Historian, Fall 2003. Tar Heel Junior Historian Association, NC Museum of History. https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/eagleson-wilson In Fall 1943, the

assigned Bailey to the 99th Fighter Squadron as a replacement pilot in North Africa's Casablanca. He flew 133 combat missions throughout Central Europe,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, and the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

. Flying his beloved P-40 Warhawk “Josephine" aircraft named after his mother, Bailey shot down two Focke-Wulf Fw 190 German fighters.Face 2 Face Africa. "Lt. Charles P. Bailey Sr., the fighter pilot who was saved by a Bible in his flight suit." MICHAEL ELI DOKOSI , Staff Writer. https://face2faceafrica.com/article/lt-charles-p-bailey-sr-the-fighter-pilot-who-was-saved-by-a-bible-in-his-flight-suit Bailey also flew a

P-51 The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

aircraft named “My Buddy" in honor of his father. During one of his aerial missions over the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

, Bailey was physically struck near his heart by shrapnel; fortunately, a Bible Bailey kept in his flight jacket pocket deflected the blow, protecting Bailey. In 1947, Bailey left the military with the rank of 1st Lieutenant.American Air Museum in Britain. "Charles P Bailey Sr - MILITARY." http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/241748

Post-Military

Bailey reenrolled at Bethune-Cookman College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. He became a school teacher in

DeLand, Florida DeLand is a city in central Florida. It is the county seat of Volusia County. The city sits approximately north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. As of the 2020 ...

before eventually retiring after a few decades in the profession, returning to school to study

mortuary science Mortuary science is the study of deceased bodies through mortuary work. The term is most often applied to a college curriculum in the United States that prepares a student for a career as a mortician or funeral director. Many also study embalmi ...

at the Cincinnati College of Embalming. He later opened the Charles P. Bailey Funeral Home which served the

Deland, Florida DeLand is a city in central Florida. It is the county seat of Volusia County. The city sits approximately north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. As of the 2020 ...

community for decades until Bailey's children merged the funeral home with local Deland, Florida's J. E. Cusack Mortuary on October 17, 2014. In 1995, doctors diagnosed Bailey with Alzheimer's disease. In 2000, Bailey went missing after wandering from his home in

. Initially, a search team was unable to locate him. When one of the search crew members shouted "Do you know anything about the Tuskegee Airmen?” a hungry, dehydrated Bailey suddenly responded "Yes.”

Family

Bailey and his six male siblings have been called the "Fighting Bailey Brothers", as the men, along with their two sisters, all served in the U.S. military during

, the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

and/or the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. * Maurice M. Bailey (1906–1990): The eldest brother and

Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the Un ...

graduate served as a sergeant with the “Red Ball Express,” a predominantly African American outfit that supplied frontline white troops with munitions, food and fuel in

's European Theater. Also a veteran of the

, Maurice was interred at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. * Paul Bailey (1922–1987): As a

Private First Class, Paul was a chaplain's assistant assigned to the Western Pacific's Company D, 2805th Engineering Battalion. After

, Paul graduated from Bethune-Cookman College and the

Boston Conservatory of Music Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founde ...

with degrees in

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

.WAR TALES. "Last of the 7 Bailey Brothers was Tuskegee Airman." DON MOORE. https://donmooreswartales.com/2010/03/21/bailey-brothers/#:~:text=Lt.%20Charles%20Bailey%2C%20Sr.%20was%20the%20last%20of,Korea%20and%20much%20of%20the%2020%20th%20Century. * Berlin J. Bailey (1912–1997): As a

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

E-4 and electrician's mate 3rd class, Berlin served in

's Pacific Theater in the 3rd Construction Battalion which was front and center at Guadalcanal, one of

's fiercest battles in the South Pacific. * Harding C. Bailey (1920–1984): As an E-5 electrician's mate 2nd class, Harding served in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and the

aboard the

destroyer escort

USS Mason USS ''Mason'' has been the name of more than one United States Navy ship, and may refer to: *, a destroyer in commission from 1920 to 1922 and from 1939 to 1940 *, a destroyer escort in commission from 1944 to 1945 *, a destroyer in commission sin ...

, the first Navy ship with a predominantly African American crew. * Carl A. Bailey (1929–1957): The first African American jet pilot from

, the

graduate and his brother Arthur were the only of the Bailey Brothers not to engage in combat. At age 28, Carl was killed in a car accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina while on vacation from the military. * Arthur J. Bailey (1925-1959): A

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

in the

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

, Arthur served on Iwo Jima during World War II. In 1946, Bailey married Bessie L. Fitch Bailey (June 25, 1915 - December 6, 2008), a Punta Gorda, Florida native and Bailey's classmate at Bethune-Cookman University who served 25 years as Executive Secretary for Richard V. Moore, former Bethune-Cookman University President.Legacy. "Bessie Lenora Marie Fitch Bailey." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/news-journalonline/name/bessie-bailey-obituary?pid=121233549 Bessie previously served as educator

's personal secretary for 20 years at the National Council of Negro Women Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Bailey and his wife had two sons, Charles Bailey Jr. and James A. Bailey.

Honors

* In 2000, the City of

honored Bailey with a bronze plaque. * In 2007, a new terminal at Punta Gorda Airport was named in honor of Bailey and his brothers. * In 2007, the City of Deland dedicated a bronze memorial bust of Bailey at the DeLand Naval Air Station Museum. Bailey's wife Bessie and fellow Tuskegee Airmen buddy Hiram Mann attended. Commissioned by Jim and Beverly Outlaw, the bust was made by artist Ralph Batten.Delandings - DeLand Naval Air Station Museum, DeLand. "WWII Tuskegee Airmen." Florida February 2016. https://www.delandnavalairmuseum.org/newsletters/delandings-february-16.pdf

Commendations

Death

Bailey passed away on October 14, 2001, in

. He was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Daytona Beach, Florida.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Charles P. Tuskegee Airmen United States Army Air Forces officers Military personnel from Tuskegee, Alabama African-American aviators Military personnel from Florida Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) 1918 births 2001 deaths

Early life

Military career

Post-Military

Family

Honors

Commendations

Death

See also

References