Korean War Caleb Thayer "Zeke" Bailey (August 28, 1898 – January 13, 1957) was a decorated officer and naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general.

[5] Bailey graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering in June 1923 and was able to secure the commission in the United States Marine Corps.

Bailey was promoted to Captain in June 1935 and remained at Quantico until May of the following year, when he was ordered to Washington, D.C., for duty at the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department under Rear admiral Arthur B.

[20][21][22] In August 1943, Bailey was ordered to South Pacific and assumed duty as chief of staff to the commander, aircraft, Northern Solomons, Brigadier General Field Harris.

Bailey then participated in the formulation of the Air Operations plans, supervised the equipping, indoctrination and then embarkation of units of his command for Bougainville Campaign.

[1][23] In March 1944, Bailey participated in the Landing on Emirau, where he then helped to establish an U.S. airbase and received Navy Commendation Medal for his service.

For the rest of the year, Bailey's planes flew routine antisubmarine and combat air patrols, and bombing and rocket missions over other Palau Islands (Koror and Babelthuap) and over Yap.

In these missions, a single F4U Corsair flew at 30,000 to 33,000 feet under the guise of practicing high-altitude operations, which also had the side benefits of drawing ineffective Japanese anti-aircraft artillery fire (thereby wasting their ammunition stores), and creating ten gallons of chocolate ice cream.

The field-expedient dessert was made from a concoction of canned milk and cocoa powder stored in an underwing tank, which froze during flight at the high altitude.

According to the book Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea, Bailey called the unit regarding the "practice" sorties and told them, "You guys aren't fooling me, I've got spies.

"[28] Bailey was succeeded by Colonel Clarence J. Chappell in January 1945 and returned to the United States for duty on the staff of Marine Air, West Coast under Major general Claude A. Larkin.

Bailey then settled with his wife in La Jolla, California, and died at Naval Hospital, San Diego following a long illness on January 13, 1957, aged 58.

He was buried with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California, with his wife Ann Mathis Bailey (1911–1985) beside him.