Merton W. Baker (July 19, 1924 – October 17, 2000) was a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

Biography

Baker was born in

Tomahawk, Wisconsin Tomahawk is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,346 at the 2010 census. The city is located to the northeast of the Town of Tomahawk and is not contiguous with it. History Before 1837, the land where Tomaha ...

, in 1924. He would graduate from high school in Evansville, Wisconsin, and attend the

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and Creighton University. Baker died on October 17, 2000.

Career

Baker originally joined the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

in 1943. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he served in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. From 1953 to 1957, he was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base. Baker would acquire more than 7,000 flying hours in his career, piloting planes that include the Boeing B-47 Stratojet,

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, Cessna T-37 Tweet,

T-39 Sabreliner The North American Sabreliner, later sold as the Rockwell Sabreliner, is an American mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the United States Air Force (USAF) in response to its Utility Trainer Experimen ...

, and the Douglas B-66 Destroyer. His retirement was effective as of April 1, 1981. Awards he received include the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

with two silver oak leaf clusters and bronze oak leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Merton W. People from Tomahawk, Wisconsin People from Evansville, Wisconsin Military personnel from Wisconsin United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II American Korean War pilots University of Wisconsin–Whitewater alumni Creighton University alumni 2000 deaths 1924 births