Caleb Bailey

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Caleb Thayer Bailey, nicknamed “Zeke,” was a United States Marine Corps officer and naval aviator who rose to the rank of brigadier general. He was born on August 28, 1898, in Bladensburg, Maryland, and died on January 13, 1957, in San Diego, California. He is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery beside his wife.

Bailey was a standout athlete at the University of Maryland, starring as a football center for the Terrapins and playing on the baseball team. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1923 and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Marines that same year. He had briefly enlisted in the Army in 1918, but the war ended before he sailed overseas. Bailey became a Naval Aviator in 1930 and served in various aviation and leadership roles through World War II and the Korean War.

During World War II, Bailey was the first commander of Marine Corps Air Depot Miramar and later served as chief of staff to the Commander of Aircraft in the Northern Solomons. He commanded Marine Aircraft Group 11 during the Peleliu campaign and earned the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V,” the Air Medal (two awards), and the Navy Commendation Medal for his service.

In the Korean War, Bailey served as chief of staff of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and played a key role in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the Hungnam evacuation, and the Chinese Spring Offensive. For his work there, he received another Legion of Merit with Combat “V” and additional Air Medals. He retired from the Marines in June 1954 and settled in La Jolla, California.

Personal details include his parents, Alfred D. Bailey and Mary P. Gordon, and his wife, Ann Mathis Bailey; they had one son, Charles Bailey. An enduring note of his legacy is his 1984 induction into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.