James ‘David” Bailey, one of the last surviving veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, died at home in Alexandria on July 5. He was 103 years old.
Bailey was awarded two Bronze Stars, the French Legion of Honor, and the Order of St. Maurice for his service in World War II. During the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944, Bailey and his unit were taken prisoner by German soldiers. Bailey escaped and later appeared on the cover of Stars and Stripes.
J. David Bailey was born on Jan. 3, 1922 in Bluefield, West Virginia. In 1942, when he was 20, he joined the U.S. Army.
“I wasn’t a Boy Scout or anything like that,” Bailey said at an event in 2022, according to Stars and Stripes. “But you will find that the best soldiers are not the big muscular type, but the little runts like me, who have a little bit of strength, and perseverance, and so forth.”
After the war, he lived in Pittsburgh, New York City and finally Alexandria, where he resided for the last 45 years of his life, according to his obituary. His work included stints as CEO of The John B. Goff Land Company, and as a cost analyst for U.S. Steel and Edison Electric Institute. After retirement, he was the president of the Battle of the Bulge Association.
Bailey was recognized for his longevity by the City of Alexandria in 2022, the year that he turned 100. Just after his birthday, on Jan. 25, 2022, he appeared at a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Bailey was also a member of Washington Street United Methodist Church in Alexandria for 35 years, according to his obituary. He is survived by his nieces, nephews and their children. A graveside service will be held for Bailey at the Mercer Funeral Home Chapel on July 15 in his hometown of Bluefield, West Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Goodwin Living Foundation’s hospice fund.
