★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★
LT Walter Bailey '31 was raised in San Diego. From the Lucky Bag: "Having California sunshine was such a habit with Walt, that when he heard the call of the sea he brought a lot of it to Crabtown for others to enjoy. Being from a Navy town, it wasn't long before he became a real "Navy Man" and woe betide him who would discuss the shortcomings of our grand old Service.
He started Plebe Year as a freebooter, but soon found his place as a man-mauler, pickin' 'em up and layin' 'em down with the best of the brutes.
In the old Navy game of caulking [sleeping] he far out-shines any would-be competition. In fact, it is claimed that on Youngster Cruise he was blind for three days from sunburned eyeballs, after caulking with his eyes open.
As a wife [roommate] he approaches the ideal. He has a supply of knowledge that would shame Webster, a supply of skags [cigarettes] that would please a watch squad—and as a friend and shipmate no one could ask for a better."
Walter began his service aboard USS Lexington (CV 2); he served there until transferring to New London, Connecticut, for instruction in submarines by July 1933. In early 1934 he was stationed aboard USS S-33 (SS 138), a submarine homeported at Pearl Harbor. In late 1936 he was a LTjg aboard USS Bonita (SS 165), but by mid 1937 he had transferred to USS S-30 (SS 135) in New London. In July 1938 Walter was attending post-graduate school at the Naval Academy. Following this tour he was executive officer aboard USS Twiggs (DD 127). In November 1940 he was transferred to the Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines, and in April 1941 was aboard USS Permit (SS 178).
Our ability to trace his career ends here, but on February 27, 1942, he was aboard USS Langley (AV 3) when that ship was attacked and sunk by Japanese carrier aircraft in the Java Sea. There are two reports of his fate; he was either one of the roughly 11 men lost in the sinking, or was rescued from the water by one of the two destroyers nearby. He then might have been transferred to USS Pecos (AO 6), which was sunk by aircraft on March 1, 1942.
Walter was survived by his wife and two-year-old son.
To Honor! ⚓
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/WALTER_C._BAILEY,_LT,_USN
