About
World War I (1914-1918)
Donald Finley Bailey was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1897. He and his family were residing on Eastern Avenue in Schenectady by 1910. Donald was an exceptional tight-wire walker and a champion swimmer. Until he joined the United States Navy, he attended Schenectady High School.
Donald entered the United States Navy on March 31, 1917. He started his training at a Naval Aviation School in Pensacola, Florida, and after finishing a course, he was transported to Baltimore, Maryland, for additional instruction. He was an electrician second class serving with the First Aero Squadron. On June 8, 1917, Donald was among the first American aviators to land in France. After completing two flying programs in France, he received the French brevet. Donald finished his overseas service on January 23, 1919, and was headed home when he got sick with pneumonia. He died on March 5, 1919, in a hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He is buried in Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, New York.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry