Dick Bailey was a tail gunner in a B-24 replacement group of the 453rd Bomb Group, 735th Squadron. He was part of Robert Thach's crew who completed 35 missions over Germany from Sept. 8, 1944-Feb. 24, 1945. He had worked as a tool machines at John Deere Plow Works after he had graduated from Moline High School, in Moline, IL. He had received a deferment from serving because his work as a tool and die maker were deemed critical to the war effort. He turned down the deferment and enlisted in the Army Air Force.