Paul G. Baker
Encyclopedia
Paul G. Baker was a United States Navy officer who received the Navy Cross
posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II.
, Illinois
. He enlisted in the United States Navy
on 12 December 1929. From 1935, he served with aviation
activities and units, and rose through the enlisted ranks to Aviation Chief Radioman
. On 14 April 1942, while serving with Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) on board the aircraft carrier
, he was appointed Lieutenant, junior grade
, for temporary service.
During the Battle of the Coral Sea
, Baker downed three Japan
ese planes and badly damaged a fourth in the engagements on 7 May 1942, but failed to return from his last mission.
.
was named for Baker. Her construction was cancelled in 1944. The destroyer escort
, in commission
from 1944 to 1947, was then named in his honor.
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II.
Biography
Paul Gerald Baker was born on 20 February 1910 in JoyJoy, Illinois
Joy is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 373 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Joy is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on 12 December 1929. From 1935, he served with aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
activities and units, and rose through the enlisted ranks to Aviation Chief Radioman
Radioman
Radioman was a rating for United States Navy and United States Coast Guard enlisted personnel, specializing in communications technology.-History of the rating:...
. On 14 April 1942, while serving with Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) on board the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, he was appointed Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
, for temporary service.
During the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
, Baker downed three Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese planes and badly damaged a fourth in the engagements on 7 May 1942, but failed to return from his last mission.
Awards
Bakers heroism and devotion to duty at Coral Sea won him the posthumous award of the Navy CrossNavy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
.
Namesake
During World War II, the destroyer escortDestroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
was named for Baker. Her construction was cancelled in 1944. The destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
, in commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
from 1944 to 1947, was then named in his honor.