VERNON JOSEPH BAKER
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company C,
370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division
Place and date: Near Viareggio, Italy, 5-6 April
1945
Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action on 5 and 6 April
1945, near Viareggio, Italy. Then Second Lieutenant Baker demonstrated
outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations,
personnel and equipment during his company's attack against a strongly
entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain. When his company was stopped
by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements,
he crawled to one position and destroyed it, killing three Germans.
Continuing forward, he attacked an enemy observation post and killed
two occupants. With the aid of one of his men, Lieutenant Baker
attacked two more machine gun nests, killing or wounding the four
enemy soldiers occupying these positions. He then covered the evacuation
of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed
position and drawing the enemy's fire. On the following night Lieutenant
Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields
and heavy fire toward the division objective. Second Lieutenant
Baker's fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration
to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.
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JOHN ROBERT FOX
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Infantry,
U.S. Army Cannon Company, 366th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry
Division
Place and date: Sommocolonia, Italy, 26 December
1944
Citation: For extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy in
the vicinity of Sommocolonia, Italy on 26 December 1944, while
serving as a member of Cannon Company, 366th Infantry Regiment,
92d Infantry Division. During the preceding few weeks, Lieutenant
Fox served with the 598th Field Artillery Battalion as a forward
observer. On Christmas night, enemy soldiers gradually infiltrated
the town of Sommocolonia in civilian clothes, and by early morning
the town was largely in hostile hands. Commencing with a heavy
barrage of enemy artillery at 0400 hours on 26 December 1944, an
organized attack by uniformed German units began. Being greatly
outnumbered, most of the United States Infantry forces were forced
to withdraw from the town, but Lieutenant Fox and some other members
of his observer party voluntarily remained on the second floor
of a house to direct defensive artillery fire. At 0800 hours, Lieutenant
Fox reported that the Germans were in the streets and attacking
in strength. He then called for defensive artillery fire to slow
the enemy advance. As the Germans continued to press the attack
towards the area that Lieutenant Fox occupied, he adjusted the
artillery fire closer to his position. Finally he was warned that
the next adjustment would bring the deadly artillery right on top
of his position. After acknowledging the danger, Lieutenant Fox
insisted that the last adjustment be fired as this was the only
way to defeat the attacking soldiers. Later, when a counterattack
retook the position from the Germans, Lieutenant Fox's body was
found with the bodies of approximately 100 German soldiers. Lieutenant
Fox's gallant and courageous actions, at the supreme sacrifice
of his own life, contributed greatly to delaying the enemy advance
until other infantry and artillery units could reorganize to repel
the attack. His extraordinary valorous actions were in keeping
with the most cherished traditions of military service, and reflect
the utmost credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
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