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Medal of Honor Recipient John F. Baker passes away at age 66.
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| Army Master Sgt. John F. Baker Jr |
Army Master Sgt. John F. Baker Jr., who received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of eight of his fellow Soldiers, killing 10 Viet Cong and knocking out six machine-gun bunkers after his unit was ambushed Nov. 5, 1966, in Vietnam, died Friday evening (1/20/2012) after collapsing in his Northeast Richland home (SC). He was 66.
During the Vietnam War, Baker was a 5-foot-2-inches tall, 105-pound “tunnel rat” – a Soldier who, armed with only a pistol and a flashlight, would crawl into enemy tunnels to clear them. He was one of only 239 servicemembers to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. And he was the last Army Soldier with ties to South Carolina to receive the medal from any conflict.
In 1989, Baker retired from the U.S. Army as a master sergeant after serving 24 years.
After that, he went to work as a computer analyst for the Veterans Affairs hospital in Columbia, S.C., one of the largest VA hospitals in the country.
He long served as vice president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. And he was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002 to serve on the National Cemetery Association’s advisory committee on cemeteries and memorials.
He accepted invitations to speak at more than 1,000 public schools. The Interstate 280 Bridge was renamed Baker Bridge.
“He is the last of a long legacy of great Army recipients who lived in South Carolina,” said retired Marine Maj. Gen. James. E Livingston of Charleston, also a Medal of Honor recipient.
New Medal of Honor Recipient – Dakota Meyer
Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions attempting to rescue three fellow Marines and a Navy corpsman under intense enemy fire while serving as a member of an embedded Marine Corps training team in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on September 8, 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He completed his active duty commitment in 2010 and currently serves in the Inactive Ready Reserve of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as a Sergeant. While on active duty, he deployed twice to the combat theater, serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Sergeant First Class, Leroy Petry
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama bestowed a Medal of Honor on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 in the afternoon to Army Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, the second living soldier to receive the military’s highest decoration for actions in Afghanistan. Petry, originally from New Mexico, is among nine servicemen from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to be awarded the Medal — given for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” Obama noted at the ceremony’s start that Petry is only the second living recipient of the medal from the Afghan and Iraq wars. To read more and to view the presentation of the Medal of Honor to Leroy Petry at the White House click here. To read the citation click here.
Taking Sports’ Greatest Rivalries to the Links -
Rivals Golf to support Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s scholarship fund
NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Harry Carson hosts the 2nd Annual Kellogg’s Rival Golf Classic on August 15, 2011 at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey.
The 2011′s event will feature the legends of the NY Giants Super Bowl teams. The legends of the New York Football Giants from Super Bowls 2000 and 2007 will tee it up vs. the Legends of the Giants Super Bowl teams of 1986 and 1990 for Super Bowl supremacy! A majority of the events profits will benefit the Foundation’s scholarship fund. For more information about the tournament click here.
Pa. Senate approves Dinniman’s proposed highway tribute to Medal of Honor heroes
WEST CHESTER, PA – On June 17, 2011 State Senator Andy Diniman announced that his legislation to designate a section of Route 23 as the Medal of Honor Grove Highway has been unanimously approved by the Pennsylvania Senate. Click here to read the featured article. Senator Dinniman recently joined MOH recipients, Jim Livingston and Walter Marm and local volunteers in cleaning up the Medal of Honor Grove. Senator Dinniman continues to work to get the MOH Character Development curriculum into local Pennsylvania schools.
Stars and Stripes Heroes
2011 Heroes Cover
For the seventh consecutive year, the Boeing Company, with the Medal of Honor Foundation as a partner, sponsored the Stars and Stripes Heroes supplement with a distribution of more than 1.6 million. The supplement includes stores of America’s men and women in unifrom serving in harm’s way who have received medals of valor. This edition of Heroes includes the stories of three Medal of Honor recipients (Robert Miller, Sal Giunta and LeRoy Petry, whose Medal to be awarded on July 12). To view a digital version click here.
Medal of Honor Curriculum Teaches Students about Courage
The Medal of Honor Character Development Program is currently implemented in 40 school districts in Pennsylvania. Click here to read a featured article (Monday 5/30/2011) about the program in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Signs Bill Honoring Medal of Honor Recipient (May 27, 2011)
Harrisburg - Governor Tom Corbett today signed into law Senate Bill 199, which designates a 12-mile section of Interstate 78 in Berks County as the Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger Memorial Highway. Etchberger, of Hamburg, died in March 1968 performing secret operations in Laos. Posthumously, the Air Force made him a chief master sergeant and he was named a Medal of Honor recipient last year. To read the full text of the bill signed into law today, visit the General Assembly’s website at www.legis.state.pa.us. Media contact: Kevin Harley, 717-783-1116.
Medal of Honor will make its home at Wheaton School
A Chicago School (Monroe Middle School) named after Medal of Honor recipient, James Howard Monroe, has just implemented the Foundation’s character development program. His medal will be presented to the school at a ceremony to be held on May 27, 2011. For more information click here.
President Obama to Award Medals of Honor
On May 2, 2011 President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously upon two Army Privates – Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano of Pukalani, Hawaii and Private First Class Henry Svehla of Belleville, N.J for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War. Relatives accepted the medal on behalf of their deceased loved ones. To view the award ceremony click here.
Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta receives the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama.
Salvatore Giunta became the eighth servicemember to receive the Medal of Honor during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on November 16, 2010. Staff Sergeant Giunta is the first living member of the US military since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor during the conflict for which it was awarded.
Salvatore Giunta was recently featured in an article in the December 2010 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. To view the article click here.
The Medal of Honor Grove Rejuvenated. The Medal of Honor Grove at Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge has fallen into disrepair in recent years. At the initiative of Pennsylvania State Senator Andy Dinniman, supported by Foundation board member, Wally Nunn, more than 1,000 volunteers came out over a period of several days to clean up The Grove and worked to ensure it would be maintained in perpetuity. Medal of Honor recipients Joe Marm, Sammy Davis and Jim Livingston pitched in to help and to thank the volunteers for their time and efforts.
The Medal of Honor Grove at Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pa contains 52 acres of natural woodland and is designed as a living memorial to the 3454 recipients of our nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.The Medal of Honor Grove is the oldest Medal of Honor memorial in the nation. To read more about the Medal of Honor Grove click here.
Sammy Davis Showing Medal of Honor to Cub Scout at The Grove |
PA State Senator Dinnaman briefing Medal of Honor Recipient Jim Livingston and Foundation Board Member Wally Nunn. |
Medal of Honor Recipient Joe Marm Thanks Volunteers at The Grove. |
TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the company of a Foundation board member, working with the Medal of Honor recipients, has produced a series of public service announcements aimed at encouraging troops to seek help if they think they are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
Click on Medal of Honor Speak Out to view some of these announcements.
Ford's Theater Celebrates July 4th
Ford’s Theater Celebrates July 4th
This year’s pre-taped 4th of July program from Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC aired nationally on ABC in prime time on July 2. The highlight and climax of the star-studded program was the unannounced Medal of Honor segment just before the finalé. The stories of Medal of Honor recipients, Walt Ehlers, Hershey Miyamura, Richard Pittman, Al Rascon and Mike Thornton, were narrated by Colin Powell and followed by a rousing standing ovation and snappy exchange of salutes between the recipients and the President of the United States.
