Baker, Vernon Joseph
1919-2010 · Contribution: 1945-1997
Military & Safety
Received the Medal of Honor in 1997 for valor at Castle Aghinolfi, Italy, in April 1945, one of seven Black WWII veterans whose Distinguished Service Crosses were upgraded after a 1990s Army-commissioned study found systemic racial discrimination had denied Black soldiers fair consideration for the medal during the war
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1919-2010
- Category
- Military & Safety
Impact on the world
Baker's belated Medal of Honor helped correct a historic injustice, formally recognizing the valor of Black WWII soldiers the Army had long refused to honor.
An alternative history
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Sources
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The National WWII Museum
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