Today's Medal of Honor belongs to Sergeant Thomas Baker, who was killed in action on Saipan.
The Pacific Theater was brutal, and Saipan especially was a hard fight. The Japanese soldiers largely refused to surrender because they had been led to believe that the Americans would torture and kill them. (Sort of like they did with their own prisoners, but I won't get into that here)
As the battle went on, it became clear to the Japanese commanders that they were in a hopeless fight, and Saipan was lost. But instead of surrendering or evacuating, all the surviving troops (including the wounded, and even some civilians) charged the American lines at dawn on July 7th. Over 4,000 men attacked, in the largest banzai charge of the war, and poor Sergeant Evans was right in the middle of it.
He had already distinguished himself during the battle by destroying a machine gun emplacement with a bazooka, and eliminating an enemy squad that had concealed themselves behind the American front line.
But back to the suicide attack. Baker was wounded early into the fight, but refused to go back to an aid station. For a while, the soldiers and marines were able to hold back the advancing troops for a while, but were eventually forced to fall back, since they were taking casualties and running out of ammo. Another soldier carried Evans back about 50 yards before he was also wounded. At this point, Evans told his comrades to leave him behind, since he didn't want to risk more lives to save his own. His only request was that they prop him up against a tree, facing the advancing Japanese troops. They gave him a pistol with 8 rounds, and wished him luck. (I can only assume it was an M1911, and I would LOVE to get my hands on one of those some day)
Once American troops were able to regroup and counterattack, they found Baker's body in the same place. Weapon empty, with eight dead Japanese soldiers in front of him. His promotion to Sergeant was actually posthumous, as was the MoH, obviously.
MoH Citation said:
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.
This one is near and dear to my heart. I had a great uncle who was killed on Saipan on the same day, during the same attack. He was an artilleryman with the Marines, and according to my grandfather, he was an absolutely wonderful human being. 60 years later he would still tell people how much he loved and looked up to his big brother. He actually named his first son after him. I really wish I could have had the opportunity to meet him myself.
