Vernon Baker Quotes

[Regarding a 1937 summarization on black soldiers published by the U.S. Army War College] Reading this, I could begin to hate again, but now, I feel it's just from somebody who doesn't know and has his own idea about people that are of a different color or a different ethnic group, or a different religion. I think it's something that came from way back in prehistoric days, and it's been carried on up to now. I had problems with some of the white fellas after the Army was integrated in forty-eight, and I told many of 'em, I said, 'You look at me, and look at my color on the outside, but I'll tell you one damn thing: We get out there and something happens, your blood is just as red as mine, and my blood is just as red as yours. We all bleed the same color.'

I received the Medal the thirteenth of January, nineteen-ninety-seven, from President Clinton. Seven were awarded, but I was the only one still walking around. I was thinking about nineteen men left on a hillside.

"Heidy usually answers the phone. But I picked it up and said, 'Good morning.' The voice on the other end said, 'Mr. Baker, Vernon Baker?' I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'What do you know a bout the Medal of Honor?' And I thought, 'Who in the hell is this nut?' and I started to hang up the phone. He said, 'Don't hang up! I'm Professor Gibran and I'm a professor at the Shaw University in North Carolina, and the Army has given us a $350,000 grant to investigate why no black Americans received the Medal of Honor during World War II.' And I said, 'Um, yeah, this is another one of those committees they dream up to investigate, and then all of a sudden they're gone.'
Well, he said he'd like to come and talk to me, him and a Colonel Cash. He's deceased now. So I said, 'Okay.' We met them over at a hotel in Spokane for a couple of days, spent the time talking. All of a sudden, reporters started calling, and then people started showing up at the door, wanting interviews.