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First Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker
Citation: 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.
http://www.history.army.mil/moh/mohb.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Baker
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sfc george SFC George Smith PO2 (Anonymous) @ po2 robert PO2 Robert M. @ tsgt Joe TSgt Joe C. @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SP5 Mark Kuzinski
Citation: 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.
http://www.history.army.mil/moh/mohb.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Baker
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sfc george SFC George Smith PO2 (Anonymous) @ po2 robert PO2 Robert M. @ tsgt Joe TSgt Joe C. @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SP5 Mark Kuzinski
Medal of Honor
WWII World War Two
Infantry
Military History
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 4
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Thanks for honoring at the time Second Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker who was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, near Viareggio, Italy while he was assigned to the all-black 92nd Infantry Division.
His citation reminds me Alvin York's from WWI in that 2LT Baker crawled to machine gun 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. "
Then the next "night Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective."
Kudos to Vernon J. Baker who patiently waited until 1997 to be honored by the nations highest military honor - the Medal of Honor!
FYI SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SP5 Mark Kuzinski
TSgt Joe C.SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas
LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSgt (Join to see) SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Tom Brown SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SGT Robert George PO2 Ed C.
His citation reminds me Alvin York's from WWI in that 2LT Baker crawled to machine gun 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. "
Then the next "night Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective."
Kudos to Vernon J. Baker who patiently waited until 1997 to be honored by the nations highest military honor - the Medal of Honor!
FYI SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SP5 Mark Kuzinski
TSgt Joe C.SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas
LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSgt (Join to see) SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Tom Brown SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SGT Robert George PO2 Ed C.
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