By Keith Purtell
A World War II veteran from Muskogee recently was honored at the state Capitol.
Jim Gailey, 85, was Veteran of the Week for the first week of the month as a result of the efforts of Rep. George Faught, R-Muskogee.
Gailey said he believes he is the only Pearl Harbor survivor still living in Muskogee. Although he has done some public speaking, he said he was a little nervous about the official ceremony.
“It was a little overwhelming,” he said. “They read my biography before the state Legislature, gave me a certificate, gave me a flag that has been flown over the national Capitol and another flag that has flown over the state Capitol. The speaker read the citation and then I led the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Afterward, more than half of the legislators came back to shake his hand. Gailey said he wasn’t able to take a tour of the Capitol because he can’t walk very much, but he and his wife, Theresa, were able to meet a group of legislators.
“We had lunch with the Republican Caucus,” he said. “That was an interesting part.”
It’s a long way in time and distance to the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese navy, but Gailey remembers it well.
“I was on the USS Helena on a heavy machine gun when we were hit by a torpedo,” he said. “I was not seriously injured.”
The Helena was later repaired and refitted at a California shipyard. Gailey was aboard again for its next mission.
“We then went to Guadalcanal,” he said. “The was the first invasion by the U.S. in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor.”
Overall, Gailey spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy between 1941 and 1961. During his military career he received seven battle stars in the Pacific and European areas. He came to Muskogee in 1952 to serve as a recruiting officer. Having been born in Commerce and raised in Miami, he wanted to move back to his home state on retirement and chose Muskogee.
Faught said he has been working for quite some time to have Gailey named a Veteran of the Week.
“I heard about him from sister, because they attend the same church,” he said. “When I was elected three years ago, all the slots were filled up for that year. I just kept going back and putting his name on the waiting list, and finally, his turn arrived.”
Faught said he was very impressed with Gailey, for both his war service and his ongoing work speaking on patriotism and World War II history at schools and churches.
“He made a great impression on all of us at the capitol,” he said. “He is such a humble servant. It was a great day.”
Reach Keith Purtell at 684-2925 or kpurtell @muskogeephoenix.com.
