World War II Honoree

Thomas A. Baker

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Troy, New York

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY A, 105TH INFANTRY, 27TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: SAIPAN, MARIANA ISLANDS FROM JUNE 19 TO JULY 7, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT: TROY, NEW YORK. BIRTH: TROY, NEW YORK. GO 35, MAY 9, 1945. CITATION: FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AT SAIPAN, MARIANA ISLANDS FROM JUNE 19 TO JULY 7, 1944. WHEN HIS ENTIRE COMPANY WAS HELD UP BY FIRE FROM AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND SMALL-ARMS FIRE FROM STRONGLY FORTIFIED ENEMY POSITIONS THAT COMMANDED THE VIEW OF THE COMPANY. HE VOLUNTARILY TOOK A BAZOOKA AND DASHED ALONE TO WITHIN 100 YARDS OF THE ENEMY. THROUGH HEAVY RIFLE AND MACHINE GUN FIRE, THAT WAS DIRECTED AT HIM BY THE ENEMY, HE KNOCKED OUT THE STRONG POINT, ENABLING HIS COMPANY TO ASSAULT THE RIDGE. SOME DAYS LATER, WHILE HIS COMPANY ADVANCED ACROSS THE OPEN FIELD, FLANKED WITH OBSTRUCTIONS AND PLACES OF CONCEALMENT FOR THE ENEMY, HE AGAIN VOLUNTARILY TOOK UP A POSITION IN THE REAR TO PROTECT THE COMPANY AGAINST SURPRISE ATTACK. CAME UPON 2 HEAVILY FORTIFIED ENEMY POCKETS MANNED BY 2 OFFICERS AND 10 ENLISTED MEN, WHICH HAD BEEN BYPASSED. WITHOUT REGARD FOR SUCH SUPERIOR NUMBERS, HE UNHESITATINGLY ATTACKED AND KILLED ALL OF THEM. FIVE HUNDRED YARDS FARTHER, HE DISCOVERED 6 MEN OF THE ENEMY, WHO HAD CONCEALED THEMSELVES BEHIND OUR LINES AND DESTROYED ALL OF THEM. ON JULY 7, 1944, THE PERIMETER OF WHICH HE WAS A PART WAS ATTACKED FROM 3 SIDES BY FROM 3,000 TO 5,000 JAPANESE. DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THIS ATTACK, HE WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED, BUT HE INSISTED ON REMAINING IN THE LINE AND FIRED AT THE ENEMY AT RANGES SOMETIMES AS CLOSE AS 5 YARDS UNTIL HIS AMMUNITION RAN OUT. WITHOUT AMMUNITION AND WITH HIS OWN WEAPON BATTERED TO USELESSNESS FROM HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, HE WAS CARRIED ABOUT 50 YARDS TO THE REAR BY A COMRADE, WHO WAS THEN HIMSELF WOUNDED. AT THIS POINT, HE REFUSED TO BE MOVED ANY FARTHER STATING THAT HE PREFERRED TO BE LEFT TO DIE RATHER THAN RISK THE LIVES OF ANY MORE OF HIS FRIENDS. A SHORT TIME LATER, AT HIS REQUEST, HE WAS PLACED IN A SITTING POSITION AGAINST A SMALL TREE. ANOTHER COMRADE, WITHDRAWING, OFFERED ASSISTANCE. HE REFUSED, INSISTING THAT HE BE LEFT ALONE AND BE GIVEN A SOLDIER'S PISTOL WITH ITS REMAINING 8 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. WHEN LAST SEEN ALIVE, HE WAS PROPPED AGAINST A TREE, PISTOL IN HAND, CALMLY FACING THE FOE. LATER HIS BODY WAS FOUND IN THE SAME POSITION, GUN EMPTY, WITH 8 JAPANESE LYING DEAD BEFORE HIM. HIS DEEDS WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE U.S. ARMY.