WELCOME MESSAGE DESTROYER USS BAILEY DD-492

Welcome to ussbaileydd492.org a project committed to the preservation and presentation of the history of United States Navy Destroyer USS BAILEY DD-492. My connection to and lifelong interest in DD-492 is by way of my uncle, Coy Vandiver, USNR. Coy became one of the BAILEY’s initial crew members in September 1942 following its post-shakedown arrival in San Francisco to provision as flagship for Destroyer Squadron 14 and duty in the North Pacific. Coy’s gunnery officer, Stan Hogshead USN, is on the far left in the above photograph. I met Stan in September 2003 and it is no exaggeration to say that although this project was conceived only a few months ago it really began with that meeting. Stan was my first BAILEY contact and has been instrumental in every respect in his support of this project including arranging many introductions to other BAILEY crew members and their families whose generosity and sharing of personal artifacts are insuring its continued growth. Thank you all.

The history of USS BAILEY encompasses three years of salient Pacific duty during World War II. Debuting in the far North Pacific waters of the Aleutian Islands she earned the first of nine battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for her participation in the only engagement exclusively between surface ships in the Pacific Theatre of Operation, and the last pure gunnery duel in naval history, the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. She earned five additional battle stars for her support of operations in the Gilbert, Marshall, Marianas, and Western Caroline Islands and Leyte as part of the aggressive island hopping campaign that halted and reversed the Japanese advance across the Pacific. Three more stars were earned for her support of the extensive consolidation of the Southern Philippines. Her duties were terminated with an escort assignment to Okinawa when the Japanese capitulated on 15 August 1945, in September the BAILEY moored in Subic Bay. Placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina, 2 May 1946 her service concluded.

All of the DD’s have rich histories and while excellent Web sites exist for many of them it is feasible that further collaborations of crew members, family members and others could preserve the individual histories on sites for all of these most beloved ships. Government sources such as the US National Archives keep critical historical documents such as War Records, Official Histories, and Ships Logs, however many of the most interesting, unique, and historically significant artifacts are found in the personal collections of the crew members and their families. Ideally these important historical artifacts could be preserved using high resolution digital imaging and optimized versions of these images could be produced for sharing on a related Web site. As this site grows I hope it also serves to encourage others with a DD in their family to investigate the possibility of collaborating in the production of a Web site for every hull number so each of their histories can be shared.

D.C. Cunningham Monday 02/12/2007