10/05/2026
John Henry Bailey
Parents John Henry Bailey
Mary Etta Maloy
Veteran
Unit Assignment: Company B, 1st Development Battalion
Development Battalions in World War I were specialized U.S. Army units established by War Department General Orders No. 45 on May 9, 1918, to reclaim, train, and rehabilitate draftees or soldiers who were physically or mentally unfit, illiterate, or non-English speakers.
Rehabilitation & Training: Formed at major camps and cantonments across the United States, these battalions acted as a hybrid of remedial physical training units, medical holding units, and basic instruction centers.
Medical officers supervised physical drills and exercises to harden "less-than-fit" men, while educators taught illiterates and non-English speakers basic English and military command comprehension.
Units included specialized tracks for handling specific ailments, such as venereal disease (VD) or orthopedic issues, treating troops or reclassifying them for limited military service or honorable discharge
Out of roughly 225,000 soldiers assigned to these units, approximately 34% were treated for venereal diseases, 13% for orthopedic issues, 5% for heart conditions, 2% for mental conditions, and 24% for miscellaneous physical complaints.
Before the armistice in November 1918, Development Battalions successfully reclaimed and restored about 68% (152,807 men) of assigned personnel back to active military utility.
