War hero Baker loses final battle

Vernon J. Baker's actions spoke loudly on the battlefield and beyond.

But his demeanor was quiet and humble to the core.

Baker, the last living African-American Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, died on Tuesday at his home south of St. Maries after a long battle with cancer. He was 90.

"He was a gentle, soft-spoken man who broke down all kinds of barriers," said Hauser's Jim Wallace, a friend who, as a veterans' service counselor, helped Baker receive his Medal of Honor from President Clinton in 1997, 52 years after Baker's military service.

"He never held anything against anybody. He never stood up and said, 'Look at me.'"

Baker received the Medal of Honor, the country's highest award for war valor, for leading a two-day assault in 1945 as an Army lieutenant against an Italian stronghold occupied by Germany and securing it for American forces.

He was also the last survivor of the 92nd Infantry Division's Buffalo Soldiers, the first all-black unit to see combat in the war.

Baker earned several other honors, including a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Cross.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter in December proclaimed Dec. 17 — Baker's birthday — as Vernon J. Baker Day in his honor.

In a letter to Baker, Otter wrote that his sacrifice and valor "helped preserve the freedoms we cherish as Americans. You are an example to all of us, and Idaho is grateful for your service and humbled by your civic virtue."

Baker's service didn't end on the battlefield.

He served for eight years on the state's Human Rights Commission from 2001 to 2009. He also spent nearly 20 years working for the American Red Cross after retiring from the Army.

He is survived by his wife Heidy. — Brian Walker