First in Series: They served their country

W.W. II veteran Wilbur Baker served with MacArthur in Philippines

Wilbur Baker, 81, remembers the exact date he was drafted by the Army for service during World War II – Feb. 12, 1943.

Baker and his wife, Margaret, 78, celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in January. In their living room, in their Mechanicsburg home, surrounded by memorabilia from his service to his country, Baker talked about his experience during the war.

He had turned 18, and was in the 11^th grade at John Harris High School. He was assigned to the US Army, 2^nd Division, at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, for basic training. From there, he attended the machinist tech school at Fort Meade, Md., for 16 weeks.

“I came home on leave and later they shipped me to Fort Lewis Washington,” he said. “I was shipped overseas, with 7^th Infantry Division, 8^th Army.”

By convoy, he was shipped to Manila, in the Philippines, and landed along with General Douglas MacArthur who had vowed: “I shall return,” when forced to flee to Corregidor from the immanent Japanese occupation of the island nation.

“The 4^th Marine Division went in with us,” Baker said, adding jokingly: “Half the time we didn’t know where we were … they didn’t tell us much.”

Armed with an M1 rifle, Baker was assigned to headquarters, where, “if they didn’t have communications, I’d have to go to the front.

“From the Philippines, we were sent to Okinawa,” Baker said. “I remember the date was April 1^st, (1945), Easter Sunday. The Japanese troops moved into caves. We had to use flamethrowers to get them out.”

Baker said that military officers said the fight for Okinawa would only take two weeks. “It took two and half months,” he said.

After atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945. Baker was transferred to Seoul, Korea, assigned to an MP division of the 7^th Infantry.

Baker said his division was responsible for handling prisoners of war and to keep civilians off the roads “so the troops could get through.” Soon after, Baker’s world changed at one moment.

“We were on patrol, in a Jeep, when we hit a land mine,” Baker said. “I spent eight or nine months in military hospitals.”

The explosion had fractured his skill and shrapnel had hit his leg. His buddy was not so lucky, he said.

“The fractured skull caused seizures,” he said. “I was given a medical discharge and have been going to the VA, (Veteran’s Administration) hospital, ever since.”

In addition to the fractured skull, Baker also suffered frost bite to both of his feet. His injuries kept him from working jobs he had wanted.

“I still have a lump on my head,” Baker said. “I wanted to be a shop teacher. I was hired for a job with JD Ferry Company, which was Cameron Street, Harrisburg.”

The company wanted him to report to work on Monday and bring his tools along. Problem was, Baker explained, he could not afford to buy the tools the job required. Veteran benefits did not cover the expense.

On January 9, 1949, he was hired by LB Smith, Lemoyne, to work as a mechanic in the auto body division. He also had met and married his sweetheart. She said she was working as a waitress at the time.

The couple moved to Florida for a better job, Baker said. They returned to Pennsylvania and Baker went to work with LB Smith, where he retired in 1979.

They are the parents of two boys and two girls, grandparents of 10, and have two great-granddaughters and one great-grandson.

While his injuries continued to cause him to have seizures, Baker and his wife said they have had a good life. For a hobby, Baker is a woodworker and has made cedar chests for all his granddaughters and gun cabinets for all the boys.