5th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps dies

[fontman]

5th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps dies
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jul 9, 2007 18:39:45 EDT

The fifth and most highly decorated sergeant major of the Marine Corps died in Newport Beach, Calif., last Thursday, according to Marine officials.

Retired Sgt. Maj. Joseph Dailey, 90, was the oldest living sergeant major of the Marine Corps. Details about the cause of his death were not immediately available. The Daily Pilot of Newport Beach reported that he died of natural causes.

Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, the Corps’ current senior enlisted Marine, on Monday flew to Newport Beach for Dailey’s wake. Kent also plans to attend Dailey’s funeral in Grove, Utah, when he is buried there this Thursday, according to an e-mail Kent sent throughout the Corps last Thursday.

Dailey earned the Navy Cross as a technical sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, in Korea on Feb. 25, 1953, for braving intense enemy machine gun, grenade and automatic weapons fire to rescue six wounded and isolated Marines, according to his award citation.

Retired Sgt. Maj. John Estrada, in his final interview as sergeant major of the Marine Corps before Kent took over, said in April that Dailey would regularly call his Pentagon office “not once a year, but many times per year, just to call.”

“He would call and call and call,” Estrada said. “He’d say, ‘sergeant major, I’m getting my Marine Corps Times, my Leatherneck, and just want you to know you’re doing a good job.’ “

About a month before turning over the reins to Kent, Estrada visited Dailey in Newport Beach during a tour of the Corps’ southern California bases and stations.

“We pull up to the house and he was sitting in the window, his red ‘Marine Corps Retired’ hat on, blazer, ready to go out. That was such an awesome, awesome meeting. That really touched me,” Estrada said. “He is by far the most decorated of all the sergeants major of the Marine Corps; three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. We took him out to dinner. I had to do that. I would have hated if he’d passed away.”

Estrada could not be reached for comment Monday on Dailey’s death.

Dailey, born Feb. 17, 1917, enlisted in the Corps in 1941 and served in its top enlisted spot from Aug. 1, 1969, until his retirement on Jan. 31, 1973, according to his official Marine Corps biography.

He was awarded the Silver Star as a gunnery sergeant with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, during the fight for Okinawa, Japan, on May 3, 1945.

Only one month and one day after earning the Navy Cross in Korea, Dailey earned the Bronze Star with combat “V” and the Purple Heart for his actions there on March 26, 1953.

Dailey served two tours in Vietnam as a sergeant major. His first tour there with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, ended when he was medically evacuated after being injured in a vehicle accident in November of 1966. He returned to Vietnam in 1969 and earned the Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V” there as the sergeant major of 3rd Marine Division.

Dailey is survived by his wife, two daughters, 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

[ssgtt32]

RIP SgtMaj, the streets are guarded by one more, you have served your time in hell!

[jetdoc]

Semper Fi SgtMaj.

[semperfi170]

I was on active duty when he served as SgtMaj of the Marine Corps. A final hand salute to you SgtMaj and see you on the streets of heaven!!

[GySgtRet]

SgtMaj my condelences to the Daily family and all the Marines lives he touched personally.

Semper Fi

[thedrifter]

A Marine for the books

Sergeant major fought in 3 wars and was a devout church-goer who friends say always led by example.

By Jessie Brunner



The body of Sgt. Maj. Joseph W. Dailey is carried by Marine Corp. pallbearers at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he was remembered as a dedicated father, husband, grandfather and Marine.

Joseph W. Dailey always carried the scriptures and pictures of his wife and Jesus in his pocket.

Scrawled on the back of the image of Jesus was, "Sergeant Major Joseph W. Dailey, United States Marine Corps."

His commitment to family, faith and country was demonstrated at his memorial services Monday at the Newport Beach Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center, where about 100 members of his family, his church and the U.S. Marine Corps gathered to remember the war hero who died of natural causes Thursday in Newport Beach. He was 90.

"My father was pretty much always a sergeant major, even for the 34 years he's been retired," Dailey's daughter Connie Nicholson said, recalling how her father sought out Marines wherever he went. "I'm sure he has found a few Marines already in heaven."

Born in 1917 in a small town in Arkansas, Dailey was one of 14 children and was raised humbly, with strict rules and high moral values. With an eighth-grade education, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps at 18, just after his father died, sending $25 of his $30 monthly salary to his family, who struggled during the Great Depression.

While working as a lumberjack in Oregon, he was invited to a Christmas tree decorating ceremony at the local Mormon temple, where he found both his faith and his first wife, Leone.

He was baptized into the church in 1940 and married in 1942, but not before enlisting in the Marines just a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

"He said, 'If we ever have a war, I'm going to join the Marine Corps before they can take me into the Army," his son-in-law Keith Nicholson told the congregation, listing off Dailey's many accomplishments in battle and the honors he received during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Dailey lived the core values of the U.S. Marines — honor, courage and commitment — and was recognized with the title of sergeant major, the highest ranking an enlisted person can receive.

His commendations include the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Navy Cross, the second highest award given for heroic action in combat.

"There is only a small group of Marines that can say they fought in three wars and earned the decorations that Sgt. Maj. Dailey has," said the current Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent, who came from Washington, D.C., to attend the services. "He always led by example and is one of those Marines who we will read about in history books for years to come."

Dailey was a loving husband both to his wife Leone who died in 1987 and to his widow, June. He was also a supportive grandfather and great-grandfather who never swore, drank, smoked, cheated or gambled.

"He loved his children and his grandchildren so much," Connie Nicholson said. "He provided them with whatever they needed and would have gone without to give them an education."

Inheriting more than his grandfather's name, Dailey Nicholson, 27, carries on Dailey's legacy as he undergoes boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, the same place Dailey completed his recruit training.

"He was one of the biggest influences on me joining," he said. "For as long as there is someone in the Marine Corps to remember him, he will be remembered."

Following a processional to the tune of "America the Beautiful," the Marine Corps Color Guard that traveled from Camp Pendleton for Monday's services gave a final, solemn salute as Dailey's flag-draped coffin was marched from the church, complete with all the pomp he earned during his 30 years of service.

He will be buried Wednesday in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Ellie

[Dave Coup]

RIP Marine. Well done.

Semper Fidelis

[BigPhil]

Semper Fi Sgt. Maj.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

RIP, SgtMaj....Godspeed.

[jetdawgg]

SF

[dhoeftusmc]

Semper Fidelis and Godspeed SgtMaj! Ooh-Rah

[yellowwing]

God Bless SgtMaj Dailey and his family.

[GUNNY MAX]

Semper Fi SgtMaj.

[bigdog43701]

Semper Fi, Sgtmaj

[davblay]

Semper Fi and RIP SgtMaj, we'll all see you there. keep it safe til we join you there!