FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: John P Baca ~ 01 July 2024

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

John P. Baca

 

           

John Philip Baca (born January 10, 1949) is a former United States Army soldier and a Vietnam War veteran. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest decoration of the United States Armed Forces, for his actions in combat.

Baca was born on January 10, 1949, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was raised in San Diego, California. Baca was a troubled boy who was often arrested and ran into trouble with the law. After he had been released from the California Youth Authority in late 1966, he tried to enlist in the United States Army, however he could not because he was still on parole.

Baca was drafted into the United States Army on June 10, 1968.

By February 10, 1970, he was stationed in Vietnam as a Specialist Four with Company D of the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On that day, in Phuoc Long Province, he was serving on a recoilless rifle team when the lead platoon of his company was ambushed. Baca led his team forward through intense fire to reach the besieged platoon. When a fragmentation grenade was tossed into their midst, he "unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his own safety," covered it with his helmet and then laid his body over the helmet, smothering the blast and saving eight fellow soldiers from severe injury or death.

Baca survived his wounds and was formally awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard M. Nixon on March 2, 1971. Two other soldiers in Company D, Allen J. Lynch and Rodney J. Evans, had previously earned the medal.

In 1990, Baca returned to Vietnam with ten other soldiers of the Veterans Vietnam Restoration Project. The group spent eight weeks working alongside former North Vietnamese Army soldiers building a health clinic in a village north of Hanoi.

Baca rarely speaks publicly about the events for which he was awarded the medal. However, he prefers to recall an event that occurred on Christmas Day, 1969. He was walking ahead of his unit, acting as "point," when he surprised a young North Vietnamese soldier sitting alone on top of an enemy bunker in the jungle. He saw that the soldier could not reach his rifle quickly and, not wanting to shoot him, yelled in Vietnamese for him to surrender. Not only was he able to take his "Christmas gift" alive and unharmed, the young man, twenty years later, was among the Vietnamese that Baca worked with building the clinic in 1990.

Baca remains active in social causes, particularly related to Vietnam veterans issues and the plight of the homeless.

In 2002, a park was named in his honor in Huntington Beach, California. At the park's dedication on April 27, John read the following poem he penned for the occasion:

It's a playground for the young, a walk for the dog,

These grounds will be blessed by the rain and the sun, free from the smog.

A refuge for the birds vacationing south, "Let's visit Baca's Park."

Soon it won't be long for all to enjoy their song! My buddies and friends have joined me for this delight.

Some unknown evenings I may be sitting upon my bench enjoying the quiet of the night.

What is a park? A site of beauty, a place to rest.

A place to stay, leave one's worries, also leave behind their stress of the day.

A solitude visitor can be still, enjoy the quiet of their thought.

One can hear the voices in the breeze, trees are clapping their hands, with the movement of the leaves.

All humanity can find a space. All are welcomed to a safe, you might say sacred place.

These grounds will be a witness for families, lovers and friends who picnic, play, hold hands and maybe embrace.

It will be filled with harmony and song and the smile of God's grace.

One last thing before I depart and be on my way,

I sat on the bench and a swing in the park that was dedicated in my honor and in my name on this beautiful day.

John Philip Baca

 

Baca's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Baca, Company D, distinguished himself while serving on a recoilless rifle team during a night ambush mission. A platoon from his company was sent to investigate the detonation of an automatic ambush device forward of his unit's main position and soon came under intense enemy fire from concealed positions along the trail. Hearing the heavy firing from the platoon position and realizing that his recoilless rifle team could assist the members of the besieged patrol, Sp4c. Baca led his team through the hail of enemy fire to a firing position within the patrol's defensive perimeter. As they prepared to engage the enemy, a fragmentation grenade was thrown into the midst of the patrol. Fully aware of the danger to his comrades, Sp4c. Baca unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his own safety, covered the grenade with his steel helmet and fell on it as the grenade exploded, thereby absorbing the lethal fragments and concussion with his body. His gallant action and total disregard for his personal well-being directly saved 8 men from certain serious injury or death. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Sp4c. Baca, at the risk of his life, are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

Please remember, the Canteen is family friendly and we exist to support and honor our troops and their families, as well as our Allies Troops and theirs.  Thank you to every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman out there for doing what you do to keep us safe.  We are ever in your debt.  And thank you, too, to the families and friends who support them.  God bless our troops.

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[PROCON]

Hi Kathy, thanks for tonight’s Canteen and for honoring this Hero!

[MoochPooch]

Evening, Kathy!

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: John P Baca ~

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[SkyDancer]

~ Hai All - Just Another Rainy Day In The PNW ~

~

~ Welcome To My World ~

I’m Down There Somewhere

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...the heat still horrible?

We had a few, very few, raindrops. Then the sun peeked out and dried them all up.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

It was hot but not heat advisory hot here. Not sure why they had that up. We’ve had several days that were worse.
Lucky you, getting some raindrops. More than we got around here. A few showers showed up in the general area but all bypassed us.
Now the “cold” front has moved through and any chances we had for rain today are gone. *sigh*

At least your rain, what there was, has cleared the air a bit. It isn’t nearly as hazy as it’s been the past several days.

[radu]

Howdy, PRO.

Hope the weekend was a good one.
Did you hang out with Robin and the pups this afternoon.
Did the little wild man ever calm down or Is he still wound up like two-dollar watch? LOL

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...any better weather? Blue time?

[PROCON]

Hiya radu, everyone was out and about so I just stayed home out of the heat and did nothing, although I did take an afternoon nap.

That's it. Hey, I meant to ask you what crops are planted for you this year?

[radu]

Staying out of the heat sounds like a good idea. I did the same today. Kept hoping for some rain but didn’t get a drop, and prospects are very good over the next several days.

Dusty planted corn this year and up until three weeks ago, it was absolutely gorgeous. Then the spigot shut off and we’ve had basically no rain since then, and it’s depressing to look out the windows. The corn looks so bad.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mooch...are you ready for the 4th of July?

Any festivities you want to attend? Or stay safely at home and enjoy our nations’s birthday.

I’m staying home.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey...((HUGS))...sitting around a nice fire and enjoying the day?

[The Mayor]

July 1

Serving at the Pleasure

Bible in a Year :

• Job 20-21
• Acts 10:24-48

Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:15

Andrew Card was the Chief of Staff to American president George W. Bush. In an interview regarding his role in the White House he explained, “In each staff member’s office hangs a framed statement of purpose: ‘We serve at the pleasure of the President.’ But that does not mean that we serve to please the President or to win his or her pleasure. Rather, we serve to tell him what he needs to know to do his job.” That job is to govern the United States of America.

In so many of our roles and relationships, we slip into people-pleasing mode rather than building up each other in unity, as the apostle Paul often urged. In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote, “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (vv. 11-13). In verses 15-16, Paul cut through our people-pleasing tendencies, stressing that these gifts should be expressed by “speaking the truth in love” so that “the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love.”

As believers in Jesus, we serve people to build them up and to accomplish God’s purposes. Whether or not we please others, we’ll please God as He works through us to create unity in His church.

Reflect & Pray

Who do you serve to please? How might God’s higher presence direct your words?

Dear God, I want to please You by speaking the truth in love to my brothers and sisters.

For further study, read Words Matter: Speaking with Wisdom in an Age of Outrage.

[SkyDancer]

Hai Kathy! ((Hugs)) rain left, nice evening and studying ... temps will hit mid to upper 80’s mid week.

[luvie]

John Philip Baca
born January 10, 1949--Providence, RI
Former United States Army soldier
Vietnam War veteran.
Medal of Honor recipient
for his actions in combat.
Thank you, brave soldier!❤️🇺🇸💙

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Pro...hope you’ve had a nice relaxing weekend. Ready for the new week and the 4th of July!

Any festivities for you to attend?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Hope you’ve “studied” for your tests....passing with flying colors is the goal.