Joseph M. Baker ( February 14, 1898February 19, 1928) served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. As a private in the 67th Company of

1st Battalion, 5th Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under the ...

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...

, the United States Army awarded him the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

for single-handedly destroying an enemy machinegun position while exposed to heavy fire during the Battle of Belleau Wood in France on June 6, 1918.Jaeckel, L. E
"Alabama Heroes Of The World War"
''

The Birmingham News ''The Birmingham News'' is the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The paper is owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its founding through September 30, 2012. After that day, the ''News'' and its two ...

'', Birmingham, Alabama, 48th year, number 140, August 23, 1935, page 2. Note: this source said he served with the 55th Company,

6th Marine Regiment The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division (Unite ...

during this action. He received the Navy Cross for the same action, where he shot the gunner with his rifle, rushed the machinegun position and bayonetted the crew. During this action, the 67th fought against the 460th Infantry Regiment equipped with Maxim guns and took heavy casualties.Clark, George B.
Devil Dogs: Fighting Marines of World War I
', Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1999, paperback version 2013, pages 102-104. While attacking to seize the objective, Hill 142, Private Baker saw the hidden machinegun inflicting casualties and silenced it after maneuvering to a flanking position. Upon capturing Hill 142, the 67th established a defensive perimeter with the 47th and fought off many counterattacks. Baker was born in Logansport, Indiana on February 14, 1898 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in March 1917. He took part in the

Third Battle of the Aisne The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in ...

, the Battle of Château-Thierry, the Aisne-Marne campaign, the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, and the Meuse–Argonne offensive. After being discharged from the Marines in 1919, he immediately enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and over the course of the following four years, he was sent to

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

for the

Siberian intervention The Siberian intervention or Siberian expedition of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers, Japan, and China to support White Russian fo ...

and the Philippine Islands. He died 19 February 1928 and was buried in San Francisco, California.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Joseph M. 1898 births 1928 deaths People from Logansport, Indiana Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) United States Army soldiers United States Marines United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I