Sergeant Bay was a Light Weapons Infantryman with the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 18 December 1950 and returned to duty on 2 March 1951. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 24 April 1951.

Bay was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.