1st Lt. Vivian Mildred Corbett Bailey saw many milestones in her life: she was an American World War II veteran and the first US Army black female pilot.
Born in Washington, DC, on February 3, 1918, Millie grew up in the Deep South and was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She joined the army during World War II and became the commander of the women’s coloured detachment!
Millie Bailey shared her experiences of discrimination, which made her more determined to become her best!
She disclosed an incident where a white lady spat at her and called her derogatory names. She pretended not to notice and let it go without saying a word.
In contrast, her white commanding general treated her with kindness while at training camp in San Antonio. It was an essential motivation for Millie to excel in her career.
She witnessed wars start and end, as well as presidents come and go.
Meanwhile, Bailey volunteered with children in Howard County schools, packed care packages for overseas soldiers, and spoke for the poor and oppressed.
She served on police and education advisory boards. In addition, the community established a permanent fund in her name to benefit minority and low-income students.
In furtherance of this, Bailey served on the Maryland Health Resources Planning Commission and the Howard County General Hospital Board of Trustees for twenty-three years.
Millie married William Bailey in 1943. They have no children. She enjoyed travel and visited fifty countries in 2013.
For her 100th birthday wish, Bailey expressed a desire for true equality for future generations.
In 2020, she went skydiving at the age of 102. Bailey died in Ellicott City, Maryland, on May 1, 2022, at the age of 104.
To know Mrs. Bailey is to love, admire and respect her. Once called “a fireball… maybe even a meteor shower that rains down from every direction.”
She was an inspirational community leader to this day and a force to be reckoned with. Her simple challenge was to give back to our communities because she said even small contributions put together can make a big difference.
