Thomas Alexander Baker (June 25, 1916 – July 7, 1944) was a United States Army soldier who posthumously received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II during the Battle of Saipan.

Medal of Honor Citation


“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Saipan, The Mariana Islands, 19 June to 7 July 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, Sgt. (then Pvt.) Baker 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, Sgt. Baker again voluntarily took up a position in the rear to protect the company against a surprise attack and came upon two heavily fortified enemy pockets manned by two officers and ten 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 six men of the enemy who had concealed themselves behind our lines and destroyed all of them. On 7 July 1944, the perimeter of which Sgt. Baker was a part was attacked from 3 sides by from 3,000 to 5,000 Japanese. During the early stages of this attack, Sgt. Baker was severely 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 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 Sgt. Baker refused to be moved any further 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. Sgt. Baker refused, insisting that he be left alone and be given a soldier's pistol with its remaining eight rounds of ammunition. When last seen alive, Sgt. Baker was propped against a tree, pistol in hand, calmly facing the foe. Later Sgt. Baker's 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.[2]”

Damn, he was full of fight

Total badass!

One could say he slowly nipped away at the enemy.

My father's brother was an Army AmTrac driver. He was KIA on D Day 15 June 1944. He as delivering Marines from 2/8 in the first wave.

Sad story but he was one bad-assed MFer.

One bad dude

1911: assault weapon

One bad dude.

If he’d had a P-35, there would have been 14 IJA laying dead at his feet!

This. Rest easy badass

Stud.

Over 70 years later, and his deeds are still being talked about.  I think that any warrior culture would be pleased to have one of it's people's' exploits spoken of over 70 years later.

hell yes.

Great job and RIP SGT Baker  

I wonder if he complained about hammer bite and shitty sights?

That is a damn badass warrior!

SGT Baker was fucking hardcore.

RIP Sgt Baker.

Notice how he didn't use a glock?

I’m thankful for my freedom today because of men like Sgt Thomas Alexander Baker.

Greatest generation of hard men. That’s a man worth celebrating.

Yes but what were his/her preferred pronouns?

I remember the AFN commercial about that guy.  It ran from 2004-2006 if I recall.

Stole my post.

In before the 1911 haters talking about boomer guns.

"On 19JUN1944 the 105th was desperately trying to make headway into Saipan against Japanese die-hards. Casualties were mounting and the attack had been stalled when PVT Baker took charge of a Bazooka and sprinted across over 100 meters of open ground while enemy machine gun fire peppered all around him.  PVT Baker spearheaded the assault by blowing apart a fixed machine gun emplacement that was gunning down the men in his company. Several days later, PVT Baker’s company was tasked to advance across an open field flanked with obstructions and he voluntarily scouted out the rear on his own to check for possible enemy forces. Here, he found multiple heavily fortified positions with two Japanese officers and 10 enlisted men that the company had accidentally bypassed. In order to prevent them from ambushing the main element of his company, PVT Baker bum-rushed them without any fucking fear and killed them all single handedly with his BAR. Just to make sure you read that right, that was 12 enemy Soldiers that come from a culture of never surrendering, that were taken out by one US Army Private from Troy, New York…. Every. Single. One."

"After going on a 12-0 murderfest, he reloaded, pushed out another 500M by himself, and found a LP/OP manned by Six enemy personnel. He engaged in a brutal close range gun fight and slaughtered those Imperialist fucks also with disciplined bursts of .30-06 fire."

"At 0445 on 07JUL1944 the entire 1st BN of the 105th was hit with a sledgehammer of almost 5,000 pissed off, psychotic Japanese Infantrymen from three different sides. They were enveloped and outnumbered. During this attack, which was the largest scale Banzai attack of WWII, Baker was shot in the stomach but refused to leave the line as he continued to pour fire onto the enemy who got as close as 5 yards from his position until his ammunition ran out. As the American lines started to bear the brunt of the hand to hand combat, Baker started to use his BAR like a massive war club and started bashing fools until the weapon actually broke apart from the sheer savagery. Completely black on ammo and his weapon broken to pieces, he couldn’t maintain his position any longer."

Think about that for a second. He broke his BAR, a 16lb automatic rifle made of heavy walnut and solid American steel, because he was beating in skulls so hard and so often that he compromised the structural integrity of said weapon. Weakening from loss of blood, he was carried to the rear by a comrade, who was wounded and killed during the act. At this point PVT Baker refused to be moved any further because he didn't want anyone else risking their lives for him.
“Get the hell away from me!” he reportedly yelled to the next soldier who tried to help him. “I’ve caused enough problems. Gimme your .45. At his request he was left sitting up, propped up against a tree calmly smoking a cigarette with his 1911A1 in his hand. 7 rounds in the magazine and 1 round in the chamber."

"The rest of the survivors of the 1-105th retreated and re-consolidated for a counter attack. After fierce and bloody fighting, they succeeded in repelling the enemy. When the Americans retook their positions the next day,  they found Baker still sitting up propped up against the tree they left him at. He was dead. His .45 empty and the slide locked back. 8 dead Japanese soldiers were splayed out in front of his position. Even when wounded to the point of death Baker fought like a cornered tiger taking down as many men as his weapon would allow. He is credited with killing at least 26 enemy soldiers during the Battle of Saipan. Baker was posthumously promoted to sergeant and on May 9, 1945, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions throughout the battle for Saipan. He was 28 years old."

https://themusastore.com/blog/warrior-wednesday-us-army-sergeant-thomas-baker-part-1-of-3/

Should be required reading for every JHS and HS student.

CMOH.org

ETA : CMOH website excellent source for truly humbling examples of incredible bravery. Here's one from A Shau, Vietnam


https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/bennie-g-adkins