Aaron McKay Bagley, Lieutenant, born Aug. 26, 1921, Lincoln, NE.
Received two years of college at Golden West College in California.
Joined the USN Aug. 4, 1940, with boot training at Great Lakes, IL.
Assigned to USS West Virginia to QM gang. Dec. 7, 1941 - he was in steering aft
getting ready to go ashore (for a date with a Japanese girl) when GQ
sounded. He raced topside 10 seconds ahead of the torpedo that blew
the rudder off the ship. His station was the bridge, but he never
reached it. Assigned briefly to ammunition detail then shifted to
removing dead and wounded. When ship became engulfed in flames, they
were ordered to abandon ship and he ended up at sub base, was issued a
rifle and told to shoot at anything that flew over their position. Along with two great shipmates,
Wally
Morgan and Frank Mazejka, he was
assigned to USS New Orleans (CA-32) Dec. 9, 1941, and served aboard until
Feb. 2, 1945 (earned 16 Battle Stars). Memorable battles: Midway,
Coral Sea and the last major sea battle in the arena of the Southern Solomon's
with the engagement of Japanese ships, the Battle of Tassafaronga.
The New Orleans was torpedoed and lost 1/5 of the ship and a great many
lives. Was a navigator on USS Talladega (APA-208)
landing Marines off coast of Vietnam, 1966-68 (earned three Battle
Stars). Was OIC NAVBROCEAN Vietnam, 1969, and awarded Vietnam Staff
Service Medal. His 30 year career covered a variety of duty
assignments: NAVSTA Rodman CZ; NAV EXAM CTR Great Lakes;
ships: BB-48, CA-32, CV Hornet, NROTC V12 Unit, AG 132, PCE 895, ATF
98, DDs: Amen, Stembel, Ernest G. Small, Talladega APA-208, OIC
NAVBROCEANO, San Francisco, San Pedro, Saigon Vietnam. Lt. Bagley
was discharged at Long Beach Naval Station in November 1970. Married Laura V. Sprouse (Navy nurse) in June
1949. They have one child and one grandchild. Bagley lives in
Westminster, CA, and is a manager of a nursery. Hobbies are bowling
and golfing.
Reprinted with permission from Turner Publishing
See Aaron Bagley's account of the events of December 7, 1941 on the
Stories page. |