His Navy friends called him “Dude.”

Plainville native T.J. Bailey is an 88-year-old veteran who went by that name when he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

At 21, Bailey signed up for the Navy because it was a sacrifice he felt he had to make.

“They were going to draft people and I didn’t want to be in the Army, so I chose to be in the Navy. I had never been out of the country or seen the ocean. Six weeks after I had joined I was sent out of the country,” Bailey explained.

He worked in as a first class seaman aboard the USS Conway, and served overseas for almost three years. Bailey still vividly remembers the boat being attacked by the Japanese while the crew made a turnaround in a tight space.

“When we had to turn around in a small harbor and go back down the same way we went in while we had an air attack,” he recalled.

While some memories are buried and other ones left behind, there is one special thing that comes to Bailey’s mind when he thinks about his time overseas: a gold plated bracelet that he received in the mail.

The bracelet had his name engraved on one side of it and his wife’s name on the other side.

“It was sent in an envelope with a letter. I got it overseas and I have kept it all these years,” he said.

Ruth Nesbitt Bailey, died two years ago, but remains in his heart.

Before she passed, the couple would travel to Navy reunions at Myrtle Beach and Savannah and reconnect with friends.

“After the war, I kept in touch with friends for a while. Everybody in our division would go to the reunions,” he said.

Bailey’s Navy career was short-lived. He entered into the service in 1942 and received an honorable discharge in 1945.

He was honored for his service and recognized for his conduct when he sailed out against the Japanese.

When he returned home, he began working at Brighton Mills in Shannon and retired after 25 years of working in the textile business.

He has continued working, and today and he is still a full-time employee at Santek.

Bailey is an active member of and deacon of Oostanaula Baptist Church. He enjoys gardening and the outdoors.

His family includes: daughter and son-in-law Sandra and L.C. Falls; son and daughter-in-law Rod and Joan Bailey; granddaughter Shireen Howard and his two great grandchildren Trevor Howard and Danae Howard.