World War II Honoree

Addison E. Baker

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Akron, Ohio

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. LIEUTENANT COLONEL, U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, 93RD HEAVY BOMBARDMENT GROUP. PLACE AND DATE: PLOESTI RAID, RUMANIA ON AUGUST 1, 1943. ENTERED AT AKRON, OHIO. BORN JANUARY 1, 1907 IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. GO 20 ON MARCH 11, 1944. CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY IN ACTION WITH THE ENEMY ON AUGUST 1, 1943. ON THIS DATE, HE LED HIS COMMAND, THE 93RD HEAVY BOMBARDMENT GROUP, ON A DARING LOW-LEVEL ATTACK AGAINST ENEMY OIL REFINERIES AND INSTALLATIONS AT PLOESTI, RUMANIA. APPROACHING THE TARGET, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS HIT BY A LARGE CALIBER ANTI-AIRCRAFT SHELL, SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND SET ON FIRE. IGNORING THE FACT HE WAS FLYING OVER TERRAIN SUITABLE FOR SAFE LANDING, HE REFUSED TO JEOPARDIZE THE MISSION BY BREAKING UP THE LEAD FORMATION AND CONTINUED UNSWERVINGLY, TO LEAD HIS GROUP TO THE TARGET, UPON WHICH HE DROPPED HIS BOMBS WITH DEVASTATING EFFECT. ONLY THEN DID HE LEAVE FORMATION, BUT HIS VALIANT ATTEMPTS TO GAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR THE CREW TO ESCAPE BY PARACHUTE WERE UNAVAILING AND HIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN FLAMES, AFTER HIS SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO AVOID OTHER PLANES IN FORMATION. BY EXTRAORDINARY FLYING SKILL, GALLANT LEADERSHIP AND INTREPIDITY, HE RENDERED OUTSTANDING, DISTINGUISHED AND VALOROUS SERVICE TO OUR NATION.