World War II Honoree

Vernon J. Baker

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION ON APRIL 5 AND 6, 1945, NEAR VIAREGGIO, ITALY. 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 4 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, HE VOLUNTARILY LED A BATTALION ADVANCE THROUGH ENEMY MINE FIELDS AND HEAVY FIRE TOWARD THE DIVISION OBJECTIVE. HIS FIGHTING SPIRIT AND DARING LEADERSHIP WERE AN INSPIRATION TO HIS MEN AND EXEMPLIFY THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE ARMED FORCES.