The last time I wrote about a man who was rejected multiple times for not meeting the Army height requirements, it was regarding Green Beret CPT Richard Flaherty, who, despite his 4’ 9" stature, earned the nickname “The Giant Killer.” He served with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam in 1968 and was the shortest Green Beret in the history of the service.
Recently, my friend BG Bill Raines (USA) introduced me to the life story of another distinguished Veteran whose heroic stature was far “above and beyond” his physical height.
Army MSG John Franklin Baker Jr.
was a native of Davenport, Iowa, just across the Mississippi River from Moline, Illinois, where he attended Moline High School. Before graduating, he trained for and, with a compact frame of 5’ 2" and 105 pounds, had promising potential as an Olympian gymnast. His gymnastic inspiration was his father, a circus trapeze artist, and among other things, John mastered the iron cross on the rings.
However, he decided to take a very different path. He wanted to join the Marine Corps but was rejected for being an inch too short. However, the Army recognized his potential.
Within months of enlisting, the 19-year-old deployed to Vietnam with the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He took part in Operation Attleboro in September 1966. He spent weeks in the jungle on combat patrols, and he excelled as a “tunnel rat.” He would enter Viet Cong tunnels armed only with a pistol and his flashlight, dodging booby traps while trying to lure the VC out where they could be engaged and dispatched.
John had only been in Vietnam for two months when, on 5 November 1966, his company went on a mission to rescue another unit that was entrapped by Viet Cong near Dau Tieng on the Cambodian border. In transit, his unit was ambushed and, under a hail of bullets, mortars, and sniper fire, their point man was killed.
For his actions that day, John Baker would receive a Medal of Honor.
After his point man was killed, his citation notes:
“Baker immediately moved to the head of the column and together with another Soldier knocked out two enemy bunkers. When his comrade was mortally wounded, Sgt. Baker, spotting four Viet Cong snipers, killed all of them, evacuated the fallen soldier and returned to lead repeated assaults against the enemy positions, killing several more Viet Cong.”
But he was far from finished.
“Moving to attack two additional enemy bunkers, he and another soldier drew intense enemy fire and Sgt. Baker was blown from his feet by an enemy grenade. He quickly recovered and singlehandedly destroyed one bunker before the other soldier was wounded. Seizing his fallen comrade’s machine gun, Sgt. Baker charged through the deadly fusillade to silence the other bunker. He evacuated his comrade, replenished his ammunition, and returned to the forefront to brave the enemy fire and continue the fight.”
John continued rescuing the injured while under intense fire.
“When the forward element was ordered to withdraw, he carried one wounded man to the rear. As he returned to evacuate another soldier, he was taken under fire by snipers, but raced beyond the friendly troops to attack and kill the snipers. After evacuating the wounded man, he returned to cover the deployment of the unit. His ammunition now exhausted, he dragged two more of his fallen comrades to the rear.”
It was a day of pure hell, but he survived, and as his citation concludes: “Baker’s selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and extraordinary gallantry were directly responsible for saving the lives of several of his comrades, and inflicting serious damage on the enemy.”
After his tour concluded in 1967, John returned home and became a drill instructor. Much to his surprise, he received a call from then-President Lyndon Johnson, who invited him to the White House for the presentation of a Medal of Honor for the actions outlined above.
At that ceremony, standing between Johnson and another recipient, his company commander CPT Robert F. Foley, Johnson joked about their height difference, suggesting they were “Mutt and Jeff.”
John continued to serve his nation for the next 22 years as a recruiter. He had requested another combat deployment, but that was denied. He retired in 1989 in Columbia, South Carolina, where he and his wife Donnell regularly attended special events at nearby Fort Jackson.
John died in 2012 at age 66.
COL Drew Meyerowich, commander of the 193rd Infantry Brigade, first met John on a regular visit to soldiers preparing to deploy during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They became fast friends, and at his funeral, Meyerowich said: “Five-foot-two John Baker was a giant. … Once you got to know him, you realized he’s exactly the giant we expect to see on the battlefield. He was larger than life.”
Fort Jackson’s commanding general, MG James Milano, added: “We lost a true American hero who was a wonderful role model for all of us. He exemplified the Army Values in all aspects of his life.”
MSG John Baker: Your example of valor — a humble American Patriot defending Liberty for all above and beyond the call of duty and in disregard for the peril to your own life — is eternal.
"Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13)
Live your life worthy of his sacrifice.
Note to our Chattanooga friends: Don't miss the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration, the annual gathering of all living recipients hosted by the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in our hometown. This is a week-long convention beginning September 30th featuring public and private events to celebrate American Patriots whose heroic acts of valor have forever shaped our nation’s story. The Patriot Awards Gala is the capstone dinner on Saturday, October 4th. To Learn more about corporate, foundation and individual sponsorship opportunities for this high-profile event before they close, visit:
www.MOHHC.org/Celebration
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate -- 1776
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen -- standing in harm’s way in defense of American Liberty, and for Veterans, First Responders, and their families.