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]

Good evening, TravisT...((HUGS))...just got home from visiting a friend in the hospital.

Did you have a good weekend? Get in any fishing?

[SandRat]

Tired, busy day tomorrow. *hugs*

[mylife]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTUDMzaKRPo&feature=related

[mylife]

Hawkwind~The Right Stuff

[oldteen]

Well, you’ve been a busy man for some time with some stressful things. You need a vacation!

[oldteen]

How’s Teresa doing tonight?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Sand...((HUGS))...any muggings today?

[oldteen]

Dayum...I could not be in one of those planes!

[Kathy in Alaska]

WONDERFUL NEWS TONIGHT!!!

1. Last night they dropped her insulin to 20 and today to ZERO!!!

2. She has been on an antibiotic IV drip for 3 hours, morning and night for days. Tonight, no IV!

She was in good spirits, with too much walking. The nurse came in early afternoon and said, “This is not good. You must have bed rest because your feet are purple”. So she has been in bed most of the day, and the nurse who came in to take her vitals said her feel looked much better. They are trying to figure out how to get rid of the edema in her legs. All in all a really good day.

[oldteen]

No insulin at all and no IV is a major improvement! Let’s hope it stays that way. The edema could be a problem if she doesn’t keep the legs elevated. Did she say if it was pitting or non pitting edema? Makes a difference. A simple water pill could help is it is non pitting.

[oldteen]

Come to think of it, if I remember right, when my Mom first started taking the Metformin she had the water retention in her ankles and feet. It subsided after a while tho.

[Kathy in Alaska]

I don't know. As long as I have known her she has been on all sorts of pills. She is allergic to everything, including penicillin, cinnamon, and all the sugar substitutes. She takes high blood pressure meds too, but maybe that is getting better. When this whole leg thing started, water was just seeping out of her legs and she made puddles on the floor where she sat. I asked tonight and she said that is not happening anymore.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, unique, for the Cheshire guys.

teen.....#50!!
Luv.....#100!!
TravisT.....#150!!

[oldteen]

Some B/P meds will cause numerous problems...one being water retention. They put me on one that just made my body go wacky! Not only the swelling of legs, feet, & ankles but the most horrible rash you have ever seen! Scared me outta my wits! LOL

[oldteen]

Guess I need to hit the pillow. I got lots to do tomorrow and it starts early...UGH! Don’t stay up too late and have a grand tomorrow!! G’night! *hugs*

[Kathy in Alaska]

From your mouth to God’s ears. We just need the wounds on her legs to finish healing. Some of the black, dead skin came off today...very painful, but she said new skin is growing.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and rest well, teen. *HUGS* Have a good “got lots to do day” and don’t get overheated or under hydrated. My Monday is going to start with a stop at the mechanic shop.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good morning to everyone at the Canteen and to al lour military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread, Star. How's it going?

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Kathy. How’s it going?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...raining still. Coffee is ready and then off to bed. Have a good Monday.