On September 24th, services were held at the grave Vernon Baker, the last of seven blacks to receive a Medal of Honor, although belatedly, for their service in World War II. He died July 13, 2010.
Baker, a lieutenant in the 370th Infantry regiment of the 92nd Division, and his platoon, over a two day period April 5-6, 1945, in Italy, killed 26 enemy soldiers, knocked out six machine gun nests, two observation posts and four dugouts.
Until President Clinton awarded Baker and six other blacks the nation's highest military honor in 1997, no other blacks had received one. A 1993 Army commission described a "systematic racial discrimination in awarding medals to blacks" during World War II. Baker was the only living recipient at the time.
The others: Edward A. Carter, John R. Fox, Willy F. James, Jr., Ruben Rivers, Charles L. Thomas and George Watson.
The Greatest Generation.
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