Posted on 04/28/2004 5:44:25 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Sherwood Baker's family and friends are still in shock, still half-expecting the tall, outgoing young man with the friendly smile to come walking through the door.
Monday afternoon the 30-year-old sergeant with the 109th Field Artillery was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, by a large explosion while performing site security, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Family and close friends gathered at Sherwood and his wife Debra Baker's house in Plymouth Borough Tuesday to mourn the loss of the young man who loved and was loved by many in the Wyoming Valley.
Ann Warman, Sherwood Baker's mother-in-law, remembered how her daughter got the news that she was a war widow at age 27.
"They came to Debbie's house at a quarter after five last night (Monday); two military men came," Warman recalled. "She always asked me, every time she'd open a letter, she'd go, 'Oh, my God, what if.' I said they would never do that, they would come to the house.
"And when she looked through the two glass doors, she saw them and she froze, and she didn't want to answer it. They said, 'Mrs. Sherwood Baker?' and she said, 'Yes.' They said, 'Can we come in to talk to you?' and she lost it." Warman's own voice trembled with emotion.
"They informed her that they were sorry for her loss, her husband was killed in an explosion in Iraq." A crisis counselor and a chaplain came Tuesday to talk with Debra Baker and other family members.
"He was a great husband. I love him," Debra Baker said, growing choked up with grief. "I'll never forget him. Ever. I just don't know why it had to happen to such a great person. Anybody that knows him would say how great he was." Debra Baker said Sherwood loved to play with their 9-year-old son, James.
Warman said she doesn't think the realization has hit yet for Sherwood's son. "To him, his daddy's still coming home," she said. Family members, including Sherwood Baker's father Al Zappala, mother Celeste Zappala, brother Raphael Zappala, and sisters-in-law Selma Schlee and Maggie Jones gathered Tuesday for mutual support.
"He was loved in this community," Celeste Zappala said. "When he was a case worker, his clients loved him. When he was a teacher, his kids loved him."
Sherwood Baker was a caseworker for Luzerne County Mental Health/Mental Retardation. He was also well known throughout the area as "DJ Phantom," spinning tunes at radio stations, clubs, and other local venues.
"He was a DJ at local clubs, and when everybody heard about it, they all wanted to know what they could do to help," Warman said. "They right away called Debbie, said, 'Deb, what can we do for you? We loved him. We were part of the family, too.'"
Warman said he volunteered for the American Cancer Society and March of Dimes, and donated his talent as a DJ for worthwhile causes.
Sister-in-law Maggie Jones said Sherwood's co-workers, clients, fans, and friends are all feeling his loss. "He had such a large, you could say, extended family. They're going to miss him just as much as we are. He leaves behind so much," Jones said.
To John Dennis, Sherwood Baker was like a brother. "He was my best friend," Dennis said, sobbing. "He loved his family. He loved everyone around him. He'd do anything for me. You could call him any time of day. He'd be there in an instant."
His family recalled him as an entertainer, a joker with a great sense of humor. "He did everything with his whole heart," Celeste Zappala said. "He was a very joyful person." "It's a wonderful thing to have somebody like that. He always made me so happy. He was just amazing," Debra Baker said. "He fought over there with all his pride. He said don't worry about him, he's fine."
Sherwood Baker was originally from Philadelphia, but came to the Wyoming Valley to attend King's College, graduating in 1995. He spent seven years in the National Guard, and was happy to re-enlist, according to Debra Baker.
Raphael Zappala believes his brother enlisted because he enjoyed helping people. "He joined the National Guard; he made a commitment to his community," Celeste Zappala said. "When he was called up, he did what he was asked of him."
Celeste Zappala said Sherwood was stationed in an area where he could make phone calls, and called his family almost every day; they last spoke to him Friday morning. Sherwood also e-mailed photographs and sent letters to family, friends, and co-workers, and often passed on what he received in return to his comrades in the military.
"He wasn't worried about himself. He wanted to help the other guys," Warman said. "Whatever he got, he shared. It was like one big family that shared everything. It was fantastic, because they all watched out for each other."
"No matter what he was doing, they called him, he was there," Debra Baker said. "He had everybody's heart and soul with him. He went there, he fought for his country - and now he's gone."
She dissolved in to tears and had to go back into the house. Warman said Sherwood Baker's funeral is pending the arrival of his body, but the family is not sure when that will be, possibly over the weekend or next Monday.
"Nothing is definite," Warman said. "They don't know anything yet, either. They're waiting for word from Iraq." Baker's family has not yet been given official details on what happened to him, which makes things difficult.
"I have friends out at the 103rd I work with," Warman said. "One guy came back in October; he left with Sherwood. He left in January to go to Fort Dix; he was with him. That's all I keep thinking about - was he there? But nobody can tell me anything."
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Compares Guard Service To Draft-Dodging. “‘If people went to Canada, if people opposed the war, if people chose to be in the Guard, that’s their choice, and I’ve never raised that in an issue,’ he said.” (Noelle Straub, “Kerry Presents Himself As GOP’s Worst Nightmare,” Boston Herald, 2/3/04)
Kerry Repeats Insult Of Guard. “‘I’ve never made any judgments about any choice somebody made about avoiding the draft, about going to Canada, going to jail, being a conscientious objector, going into the National Guard,’ Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, told Fox News Channel. ‘Those are choices people make.’” (Nick Anderson, “Buoyant Kerry Embraces Role Of Frontrunner,” Los Angeles Times, 2/4/04)
DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe Says National Guard Service Not Part Of Military. “George Bush never served in our military and our country.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 2/1/04)
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