Millie Bailey

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For the American jazz singer, see Mildred Bailey. For the American brigadier general, see Mildred Inez Caroon Bailey. For the Irish brigadier general, see Vivian Bailey.

Millie Bailey
Bailey in 1945
Birth nameVivian Mildred Corbett
Born(1918-02-03)February 3, 1918
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedMay 1, 2022(2022-05-01) (aged 104)
Ellicott City, Maryland, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1943–1946
RankFirst lieutenant
UnitWomen's Army Corps
Battles/warsWorld War II
Spouse(s)William Bailey
Other workCivil servant, volunteer

Vivian Mildred Bailey (née Corbett; February 3, 1918 – May 1, 2022) was an American World War II veteran, civil servant, and volunteer. She was a fundraiser for education, health, and military service personnel. Bailey was one of the first African American officers in the Women's Army Corps and served as a commander of the Women's Colored Detachment. Bailey was a division director in the Social Security Administration.

Early life and education[edit]

Vivian Mildred Corbett was born in Washington, D.C., on February 3, 1918.[1][2] Her mother moved the children back to her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, after Bailey's father was deployed for World War I. She attended segregated schools.[3] She knew historian John Hope Franklin from her upbringing in Tulsa.[4]

Career[edit]

Bailey was one of only two black women to earn superior rank at her officer's course.[5] She received her commission as a first lieutenant in Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School and served in the Women's Army Corps from 1943 to 1946.[3][6] Bailey became second-in-command of the Women's Colored Detachment at Fort McClellan.[4] She later served as a commander of the all-female detachment before being selected to attend the Adjutant General School Officers' Administration Course. As one of only two Black women in the class, she graduated with outstanding marks and went on to serve for the first time with an unsegregated unit.[7]

Speaking of her experiences, Bailey shared she did not experience gender discrimination but that the troops were racially segregated. The first time she went off post alone at Fort McClellan, a white woman spat at her and said, "Look at that black bitch." Bailey pretended to not notice, citing fears of lynching. In contrast, Bailey also shared that her commanding general, a white man, treated her with kindness while she was at a training camp in San Antonio.[6] At Fort Benning, Bailey was a first lieutenant in charge of 144 women.[3]

After leaving the U.S. Army, Bailey moved to Chicago and worked for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. In 1970, she transferred to the Social Security office in Baltimore as a division director and retired in 1975.[3][4]

Bailey was an active community volunteer and fundraiser for education, health, and the military. From 1966, Bailey collected, packed, and shipped CARE packages for U.S. Military service members.[8] From 1982 to 1993, Bailey served on the Maryland Health Resources Planning Commission and was involved with the approval of the first magnetic resonance imaging and CT scanners in the state. She left the commission to join the Howard County General Hospital board of trustees where she served for 23 years before stepping down in 2015.[9]

Bailey was a member of the Howard County Police Citizens Advisory Council.[9] From 1999, she advocated and fundraised for Running Brook Elementary School.[3][9] Bailey often raised over $10,000 annually for the students.[10]

On October 22, 2020, the Vivian C. "Millie" Bailey Neighborhood Square on Lake Kittamaqundi was dedicated in her honor.[10]

Personal life and death[edit]

Bailey met her future husband, William Bailey, on April 10, 1943, the same day she was commissioned.[11] They married after leaving the U.S. Army. The couple had no children. In 1970, they moved to Columbia, Maryland, where Bailey resided for the rest of her life. She enjoyed traveling and had been to fifty countries as of 2013.[4] For her 100th birthday wish, Bailey expressed a desire for true equality for future generations.[12] In 2020, she went skydiving at the age of 102.[5] Bailey died in Ellicott City, Maryland, on May 1, 2022, at the age of 104.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Groundbreaking Ceremony". Howard County Veterans Foundation. June 29, 2019. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021.
  2. ^ Holzberg, Janene (February 7, 2010). "For Millie Bailey, a life of giving". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Saenz, Arlette (May 27, 2015). "Meet the 97-Year-Old Who Was Surprised by Obama on Her 'Field Trip' to the White House". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Thomas, Martha (November 9, 2013). "Living to give". HerMind. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Maryland Park Dedicated to 102-Year-Old WWII Vet Who Went Skydiving". NBC4 Washington. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Hurley, Caroline (June 6, 2018). "Women's Army Corps veteran remembers a general's kindness". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  7. ^ Lange, Katie (November 9, 2020). "WWII Vet Still Breaking the Mold at 102". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ Patti, John (June 29, 2019). "101-Year-Old Howard County Community Leader To Be Honored". WBAL. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Myers, Jill (2015). "Vivian "Millie" Bailey Retires from HCGH Board of Trustees". Howard County General Hospital. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Simmons, Melody (October 21, 2020). "Park dedicated to 102-year-old veteran Millie Bailey in Columbia opens this week". Baltimore Business Journal. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  11. ^ MacPherson, Erin (December 7, 2021). "103 year old World War II veteran continues service by helping others". WMAR. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  12. ^ Cairns, Kathleen (February 5, 2018). "WWII Veteran celebrates 100th birthday with one birthday wish". WBFF. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  13. ^ "Vivian Corbett "Millie" Bailey". Tribute Archive. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
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