FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Vernon Baker ~ July 26, 2010

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[Kathy in Alaska]

 

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Vernon Baker

(Info found here.)

           

On Saturday, July 13th, another Medal of Honor recipient left us to guard the streets of heaven.  Thank you, sir, for your service to our country.

Vernon Joseph Baker (December 17, 1919 – July 13, 2010) was a United States Army officer who received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II. He was awarded the medal for his actions on April 5–6, 1945 near Viareggio, Italy, when he and his platoon killed 26 enemy soldiers and destroyed six machine gun nests, two observer posts and four dugouts. He was the only living black World War II veteran of the seven belatedly awarded the medal of honor when it was bestowed upon him by President William Jefferson Clinton in 1997.

Early life

Baker was born on December 17, 1919, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the youngest of three children. After his parents died in a car accident when he was four, he and his two sisters were raised by their grandparents. His grandfather Joseph S. Baker, a railroad worker in Cheyenne, taught him to hunt in order to feed the family and became "the most influential figure in Vernon's life." His relationship with his grandmother was much more strained, and he spent a few years at the Boys Town orphanage in Nebraska to be away from her.

Baker graduated from high school in his grandfather's hometown of Clarinda, Iowa. He then worked as a railroad porter, a job he despised, until his grandfather's death from cancer in 1939. A series of menial jobs followed until his enlistment in the U.S. Army in mid-1941. At his first attempt to enlist, in April 1941, he was turned away, the recruiter stating "We don't have any quotas for you people." He tried again weeks later with a different recruiter and was accepted; he requested to become a quartermaster but was instead assigned to the infantry.

 

Military service

Baker entered the Army on June 26, 1941, six months prior to the U.S. entry into World War II. He went through training at Camp Wolters, Texas, and after completing Officer Candidate School was commissioned as a second lieutenant on January 11, 1943.

In June 1944, Baker was sent to Italy with the all-black 92nd Infantry Division. He was wounded in the arm in October of that year, hospitalized near Pisa, and in December rejoined his unit in reserve along the Gothic Line. In early spring, 1945, his unit was pulled from the reserves and placed in active combat. On the morning of April 5, he participated in an attack on the German stronghold of Castle Aghinolfi. During the assault, Baker led his heavy weapons platoon through German defenses to within sight of the castle, personally destroying three machine gun nests, two observation posts, two bunkers, and a network of German telephone lines along the way. It was for these actions that he was later awarded the Medal of Honor.

After the end of the war, Baker remained in Europe with the Allied occupation forces until 1947. He later joined the Army Airborne forces and left the military in 1968 as a first lieutenant.

In 1993, a study commissioned by the U.S. Army described systematic racial discrimination in the criteria for awarding medals during World War II. At the time, no Medals of Honor had been awarded to black soldiers who served in World War II. After an exhaustive review of files, the study recommended that several black Distinguished Service Cross recipients have their awards upgraded to the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the medal to seven African American World War II veterans; Baker was the only recipient still living at the time.

Baker's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, near Viareggio, Italy. Then Second Lieutenant Baker demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations, personnel and equipment during his company's attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain. When his company was stopped by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements, he crawled to one position and destroyed it, killing three Germans. Continuing forward, he attacked an enemy observation post and killed two occupants. With the aid of one of his men, Lieutenant Baker attacked two more machine gun nests, killing or wounding the four enemy soldiers occupying these positions. He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy's fire. On the following night Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Second Lieutenant Baker's fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.

 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[Kathy in Alaska]

By the time I visited last night, they looked better than I’ve seen them....like skin color.

Tonight I’ll find out how the day without insulin went.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Did the girls help you in the garden?

[TMSuchman]

Really nice the last couple of days. I was able to go out & cut the grass yesterday, but the mower deck needs over hauled. Both spindles,pulleys,& belt needs to be replaced.

I knew that I should have got the one from Devine Engining ! It would have not broke.

[oldteen]

I know, Sand :(. You’re still in my thoughts and prayers that something comes along real soon! There IS someone out there somewhere that needs you for their business! *hugs*

[TASMANIANRED]

Skin can grow back more quickly than you think once infection is eliminated and blood sugar is normalized.

I exploded a spagetti squash in the microwave.

It’s been too hot for much work in the garden unless done very early.

Put up tomatoes and squash this weekend.

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

1st Lt Michael L Runyan, USA
52nd Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team,
25th Infantry Division

Amazing Grace

[Kathy in Alaska]

Glad you were able to get out and cut grass, even if the mower acted up.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Click the pic for ….

Road Trip: Patriots Point, South Carolina

NOTE: CANTEEN MUSIC
Posted daily and on the Music Thread
for the enjoyment of our troops and visitors.

[SandRat]

*hugs*

[Cyber Ninja]

First Lieutenant Vernon Joseph Baker reminded me about my Dad. My Dad drove trucks in Europe in WWII because of a mangled hand; He could not use a rifle.

I’m white.

My Dad loved Beer, just loved it. When I was 4 foot tall I knew this. Get between my Dad and his Beer; you get Darth Vader on a bad day.

My Dad used the N-word. In my memory, from 1960, it wasn’t a bad word. It meant; a Negro.

My Dad taught me that there were good N’s and bad N’s; just like everybody else.

The guys that rode the back of the garbage truck that picked up trash in our ally were N’s.

My Dad would have these guys in to his garage; at lunch time. To be out of the sun and he would give them a Beer. Beer, Gods gift to man. They were good.
hard men working; just like my Dad. He respected that, I could tell. He gave them Beer, everyday. Beer, blood, beer!

One summer, we broke up a concrete patio. Put all the chunks out in the ally. You’re not supposed to do that.

Dad’s N buddies just started loading it like it was trash. They were not supposed to do that.

As they were driving off, my Dad gave both N’s $10; in 1960?

Corruption, yes, racism, no.

My Dad will be first in line in Club Heaven to buy First Lieutenant Vernon Joseph Baker a Beer!

[Cyber Ninja]

CONTEXT

[HiJinx]

Context?
Absolutely.

My Dad also taught me about good ones and bad ones. He was born in Mississippi, did 20 years in the Air Force, and retired in Alabama; without a prejudiced bone in his body.

He looked who you were, what you did, and not the color of your skin.