Vernon Baker

Vernon Baker after World War Two

Department of Defense

Quick Facts

Significance:

World War Two Buffalo Soldier and Medal of Honor Recipient

Place of Birth:

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Date of Birth:

December 17, 1919

Place of Death:

Saint Maries, Idaho

Date of Death:

July 13, 2010

Place of Burial:

Arlington, Virginia

Cemetery Name:

Arlington National Cemetery

Vernon Baker was born on December 17, 1919, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. When Baker was four years old, his parents died in a car accident. He and his two sisters went to live with their paternal grandparents in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and later in Clarinda, Iowa.

Baker graduated from high school in Clarinda, Iowa, in 1937. For several years, he worked as a shoeshine and a railroad porter. In April 1941, he tried unsuccessfully to enlist in the U.S. Army. The recruiter told him he could not enlist because “We don’t have any quotas for you people.” Baker tried again in June with a different recruiter, who accepted him. Although he wanted to be a quartermaster, the recruiter assigned him to the infantry. Baker later recalled, “I didn’t say anything because I was going to get in.”

Baker was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas, for basic training. Afterward, he was stationed with the Twenty-fifth Infantry, one of the historic Buffalo Soldier regiments, at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. While at Fort Huachuca, he quickly rose to the rank of staff sergeant. Because of his work ethic and abilities, he was nominated to attend officer candidate school in October 1942 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Initially, Baker hesitated to accept the opportunity because he was comfortable at Fort Huachuca and enjoyed his job and his fellow soldiers. Finally, Baker accepted the opportunity to better himself. 

Baker completed the 13-week officer-training course and was commissioned a second lieutenant on January 11, 1943. He was briefly assigned to Camp Rucker, Alabama, before being transferred back to Fort Huachuca, where he was a weapons platoon leader in the all-Black 370th Infantry Regiment in the 92nd Infantry Division. The 92nd Division was one of two segregated all-Black divisions in World War II. By April 1944, Baker and the rest of the 92nd Infantry Division had completed field maneuvers at Camp Polk, Louisiana, learned they would be soon ship out to join the Fifth U.S. Army in Italy.

On July 15, 1944, Lieutenant Baker and 7,000 other men boarded the SS Mariposa at Newport News, Virginia. During the two-week voyage to Italy, Baker and his platoon grew close. They arrived in Naples, Italy, on July 28, 1944. 

On October 8, 1944, Baker and his company were ordered to attack a German-held house in Seravezza, Italy. Two days earlier, Baker’s friend, Lieutenant Al Frazier, had been killed in an attack on the same location. During the mission Baker and another soldier were able to kill five Germans inside the house while the rest of his men created a diversion and drew the fire of the German machine gun position nearby. 

While the mission was a success, it came at a cost. Two of Baker’s men were killed by machine-gun fire before the rest of his men were able to take out the position. Although Baker was wounded in the arm, he did not notice his injury until he returned to camp. He spent the next two months recuperating from his wounds at a military hospital in Pisa, Italy. On December 26, he returned to his unit near Sommocolonia, Italy. He witnessed the battle and the artillery barrage that fellow-Medal of Honor recipient Lieutenant John R. Fox called in on his own position to halt the German attack on the area.

In the pre-dawn hours of April 5, 1945, Baker and the rest of Company C, First Battalion, 370th Infantry led an attack on Castle Aghinolfi, where the Germans had an artillery position and stronghold. Previous attempts to take the German position ended in disaster for the Americans. On the way up the hill, Baker surveyed the terrain and spotted two Germans in an observation post and another two in a hidden machine-gun position. Baker advanced and killed the four Germans with his M1 Garand rifle. He continued to attack German positions to make it safe for his men. By this time, German mortars were landing among Baker’s men. His company received heavy causalities; lacking reinforcements, they were ordered to retreat. Baker was one of the last of his company to retreat. On the way back, he found two more concealed German positions that he neutralized before returning to the American lines. By the time they reached safety, Baker and his men endured 12 hours of intense combat.

The next day, Baker was assigned to lead another group of men, this time from the 473rd Infantry, up the hill to take the castle. Upon reaching the castle, they saw that the Germans had abandoned the position. They succeeded in capturing the strategic position. On July 4, 1945, Baker was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross at Genoa, Italy, for his actions.

Baker survived the war and remained in Italy on occupation duty until February 1947. His military service included action during the Korean War, when he commanded an all-white airborne company. He retired from the military in 1968 after 27 years of service. He then worked for the Red Cross for more than 20 years.

In the early 1990s, the Department of Defense began to study the issue of why no African Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II. The investigation looked at historical documents including Distinguished Service Cross paperwork. It was determined that Black soldiers had been denied consideration for the Medal of Honor in World War II because of their race. The report put forward seven men who deserved the Medal of Honor for their actions. Vernon Baker was one of them. President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to Baker on January 13, 1997. He was the only one of the seven still alive to receive his Medal of Honor.

Baker died on July 13, 2010, at the age of 90 in Saint Maries, Idaho. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 59, Grave 4408 with full military honors.

Vernon Baker’s Medal of Honor citations reads: 
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: First Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April 1945. At 0500 hours on 5 April 1945, Lieutenant Baker advanced at the head of his weapons platoon, along with Company C’s three rifle platoons, towards their objective: Castle Aghinolfi - a German mountain strong point on the high ground just east of the coastal highway and about two miles from the 370th infantry Regiment's line of departure. Moving more rapidly than the rest of the company, Lieutenant Baker and about 25 men reached the south side of a draw some 250 yards from the castle within two hours. In reconnoitering for a suitable position to set up a machine gun, Lieutenant Baker observed two cylindrical objects pointing out of a slit in a mount at the edge of a hill. Crawling up and under the opening, he stuck his M-1 into the slit and emptied the clip, killing the observation post’s two occupants. Moving to another position in the same area, Lieutenant Baker stumbled upon a well-camouflaged machine gun nest, the crew of which was eating breakfast. He shot and killed both enemy soldiers. After Captain John F. Runyon, Company C’s Commander joined the group, a German soldier appeared from the draw and hurled a grenade which failed to explode. Lieutenant Baker shot the enemy soldier twice as he tried to flee. Lieutenant Baker then went down into the draw alone. There he blasted open the concealed entrance of another dugout with a hand grenade, shot one German soldier who emerged after the explosion, tossed another grenade into the dugout and entered firing his sub-machine gun, killing two more Germans. As Lieutenant Baker climbed back out of the draw, enemy machine gun and mortar fire began to inflict heavy casualties among the group of 25 soldiers, killing or wounding about two-thirds of them. When expected reinforcements did not arrive, Captain Runyon ordered a withdrawal in two groups. Lieutenant Baker volunteered to cover the withdrawal of the first group, which consisted mostly of walking wounded, and to remain to assist in the evacuation of the more seriously wounded. During the second group's withdrawal, Lieutenant Baker, supported by covering fire from one of his platoon members, destroyed two machine gun positions (previously bypassed during the assault) with hand grenades. In all, Lieutenant Baker accounted for nine enemy dead soldiers, elimination of three machine gun positions, an observation post, and a dugout. On the following night, Lieutenant Baker voluntary led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Lieutenant Baker’s fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the military service.”