Moline Memories

Monday, January 23, 2012

Medal of Honor Recipient - John F. Baker

Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. John F. Baker speaks Tuesday at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 union hall in Rock Island. He thanked them for helping build a monument near the Interstate 280 bridge, which was renamed Baker Bridge in his honor in 2010. (Larry Fisher/QUAD-CITY TIMES)

QC Times

To his fellow military veterans, the unassuming 110-pound, 5-foot, 2-inch soldier named John F. Baker Jr. stood tall when it counted.

The only Medal of Honor recipient from the Quad-Cities died Friday evening in Columbia, S.C. Baker was 66.

Ray Hamilton, a friend and fellow Vietnam veteran, described Baker as an "extraordinary guy who carried himself as an ordinary person."

Family and friends shared their memories of Baker on Saturday, calling him a "quiet, wonderful man" who dropped out of Moline High School to join the Army during the Vietnam War.

Since earning the military's highest honor for valor in 1968, Baker has educated youth about U.S. military history and the importance of service.

In his later years, he had several heart surgeries, including one in July 2010. Hamilton of Port Byron, Ill., said Baker was in surgery just two days before he showed up at a ceremony in Rock Island when the Interstate 280 bridge was renamed the "Baker Bridge" in his honor.

"John was a fighter," Hamilton said.

He finally succumbed to his failing health Friday, when he suffered a heart attack and died en route to a hospital near his home in Columbia, S.C., his friend, Kevin Shwedo, said.

He died in the company of his wife, Donnell Baker.

He left a legacy of service on future Medal of Honor recipients, including fellow Iowan Salvatore Giunta.
"Sgt. Baker will dearly be missed," Giunta said Saturday. "He was a good man."

When President Barack Obama awarded Giunta, of Hiawatha, Iowa, the medal on Nov. 16, 2010, he was the first living soldier since the Vietnam War to receive the distinction.

Baker had advice for Giunta in 2010: "He's just got to play it cool," Baker said.

Giunta said Saturday that Baker's mentoring as a senior recipient "did mean a lot to me."

Gloria Helfrich of Bettendorf said she always considered her older brother a hero.

"When kids would pick on me, Johnny got all over them," she said. "From a young age, if something went wrong, he took over."

Baker was born in Davenport and spent much of his childhood in Moline.

Baker remained unassuming, even after winning the Medal of Honor, Helfrich said.

"He didn't make a big thing about people thinking of him as a hero," Helfrich said. "He didn't feel like a hero. He felt the medal belonged to everyone in the Army. He was just its keeper."

Baker has lived in South Carolina since 1992, but he has stayed in touch with the Quad-Cities Chapter 299, Vietnam Veterans of America.

Hamilton, who is a member of Chapter 299, said Baker visited the Quad-Cities last year to thank everyone who helped in the bridge renaming project as well as a monument in his honor erected in front of Jumer's Casino & Hotel in Rock Island.

"He was always gracious," Hamilton said.

Until he died, Baker remained heavily involved in the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, which includes 83 living recipients.

His citation uses such phrases as "selfless heroism," "indomitable fighting spirit" and "extraordinary gallantry" to describe Baker, who was awarded the medal by President Lyndon Johnson after saving several soldiers while taking enemy fire on Nov. 5, 1966.

Shwedo said there's more to Baker's story than the one incident. He said Baker crawled through hundreds of yards of underground tunnels, pushing his way past scorpions and snakes to kill any hiding enemy soldiers and plant explosives to destroy the tunnels. He said Baker completed about 100 of those missions in Vietnam.

"I have not met very many people in life who performed that regularly and that routinely at that level of excellence," Shwedo said.

Funeral services for Baker have not yet been set. Dunbar Funeral Home of Columbia, S.C., is handling the arrangements.

Hamilton said Quad-Cities Chapter 299, Vietnam Veterans of America, will schedule a memorial service at a later date.

Read more: http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/local-medal-of-honor-recipient-dies/article_5109c3ac-4472-11e1-accc-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1kI8Urmen

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Beverly Epplin Wagner

Beverly Epplin Wagner and her husband Forest.

I ordered the book Greg Jackson put out for our 45th Class reunion...."The Class the Stars Fell On" and I am impressed with the content! I found it interesting to know the "sweethearts" have been married all these years...the talent our class had, Professors, Physics, theology, journalism, movie stars, etc. Also I noted how so many of us know our Savior, and how so many are tuned in to their families and children and grandchildren! Very refreshing....I'll always treasure this book!

John Baker, Medal of Honor Recipient: Rest in Peace

Julio Morales has left a new comment on your post "John Baker, Medal of Honor Recipient: Rest in Peac...":

John and I went through the Army Recruiting Course at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN during the fall of 1972. We were the first group of recruiters sent to the field to recruit for the Volunteer Army... We had rough time trying to recruit young men, however, when the draft and the Vietnam conflict ended during the spring of 73, recruiting was easier... Today, I was thinking about whatever happened to John and found out he died in 1910. Rest in Peace brother. My deepest sympathy to his wife and family. 1SG (Ret) Julio Morales, USA (1959-1991)

John Baker was a good friend to members of our class, MHS 66.

John Baker, the Quad-Cities' only recipient of the congressional Medal of Honor, died Friday at his home in Columbia, S.C., friends said Saturday.

Ray Hamilton of Port Byron, a member of Vietnam Veterans of America/Quad-Cities Chapter 299, said he learned of Mr. Baker's death Saturday morning. He said funeral arrangements are pending.

The nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor was given to Mr. Baker, who grew up in Moline, for actions in Vietnam on Nov. 5, 1966, in which he saved the lives of several of his fellow soldiers.

Mr. Hamilton said he helped spearhead efforts by the Quad-Cities chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America to rename the Interstate 280 bridge across the Mississippi River for Mr. Baker. He said he first introduced the idea at a meeting in May of 2007.

"I said there's nothing to recognize Baker ever existed," Mr. Hamilton said. "We thought, 'Hey, the 280 bridge is not named. Let's go for it.' "

The bridge was dedicated in Mr. Baker's honor in 2010.

In a news release, U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling, R-Colona, called Mr. Baker a friend and role model.

"His exemplary acts serve as an embodiment of what the brave American spirit can accomplish," Rep Schilling said. "Sgt. Baker led an exceptional life, and he leaves behind an incredible legacy of courage and leadership. He will be sorely missed."

Bill Albracht was president of VVA Chapter 299 when Mr. Hamilton suggested renaming the bridge for Mr. Baker. He said that before the bridge was renamed, Mr. Baker's feelings about the Quad-Cities had been damaged.

"He was kind of feeling like this wasn't his home anymore," Mr. Albracht said. "We wanted to restore his reputation."

Mr. Baker was a humble man who said that while he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the medal was not actually for him.

"He always said the medal wasn't his. He was just a keeper," Mr. Albracht said. "It belonged to all servicemen, to all veterans."

Mr. Albracht said he last spoke to Mr. Baker in October.

"I didn't think about him every day, but now that he's gone, I'll remember him until the day I die," he said.

Mr. Hamilton said Mr. Baker never bragged about his service in Vietnam.

"He said, 'The instinct to survive is trememdous,' " Mr. Hamilton said. "He said, 'That's all I did. I just tried to survive.' "

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Congressional Medal of Honor Society

BAKER, JOHN F., JR.

Rank: Sergeant

Organization: U.S. Army

Company: Company A, 2d Battalion

Division: 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division

Born: 30 October 1945, Davenport, Iowa

Departed: No

Entered Service At: Moline, Ill.

G.O. Number:

Date of Issue:

Accredited To:

Place / Date: Republic of Vietnam, 5 November 1966

Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. En route to assist another unit that was engaged with the enemy, Company A came under intense enemy fire and the lead man was killed instantly. Sgt. Baker immediately moved to the head of the column and together with another soldier knocked out 2 enemy bunkers. When his comrade was mortally wounded, Sgt. Baker, spotting 4 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. Moving to attack 2 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 single-handedly destroyed 1 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. When the forward element was ordered to withdraw, he carried 1 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 2 more of his fallen comrades to the rear. Sgt. 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. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

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John Baker was born in Davenport, Iowa and attended Moline High School from 1963 to 1966. At 5’ 1”, he was a gymnast before joining the army. He became a "tunnel rat" in Vietnam, a soldier who entered Viet Cong tunnels searching out the enemy and destroying their caches of war material. Baker made the military his career, retiring in 1989. He then began working as a computer analyst at a Veterans Hospital in South Carolina. In addition to serving as the Vice-President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, he serves as a member on the Nation's Monuments and Cemeteries Committee.

In 2008, the I-280 Bridge, connecting Davenport, Iowa with Rock Island, Illinois, was renamed the Sergeant John F. Baker, Jr., Bridge in his honor.^[1]

Baker entered the U.S. Army in Moline, Illinois, serving as a private in A Company, 2nd Battalion of the 27th Infantry, 25th Division. In Vietnam, Baker took part in Operation Attleboro which began in September 1966. On November 5, 1966, Baker and his unit were called to assist another squad who were taking enemy fire. En route, A Company began to take fire and lost their lead soldier. Together with two other soldiers, Baker took over the head of the column and assisted in destroying two enemy positions. They were moving to take two others when a hand grenade knocked Baker off of his feet.

Baker in uniform

With the two other soldiers wounded, Baker "single handedly" destroyed another bunker before recovering his comrades. Despite taking further fire from enemy bunkers and snipers, Baker continually fell back to replenish ammunition and take back several wounded. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor along with Captain Robert F. Foley, who also received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle. When awarded the citation, President Lyndon B Johnson stated:

“

The battlefield is the scarred and the lonely landscape of man’s greatest failure. But is a place where heroes walk. Today we come here to the East Room of the White House to honor two soldiers, two soldiers who—in the same battle and at the same time—met the surpassing tests of their lives with acts of courage far beyond the call of duty. Captain Foley and Sergeant Baker fought in the same company. Now, together, they join the noblest company of them all. They fought because their Nation believed that only by honoring its commitments, and only by denying aggression its conquest, could the conditions of peace be created in Southeast Asia and the world.^[2]

Dennis Creen, Rest in Peace

Dennis Eugene Creen, 63, of Moline, passed away peacefully at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, after a brief battle with leukemia on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moline. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, 6601 38th Ave., Moline. Burial will be at National Cemetery, Arsenal Island, with military honors by American Legion Post No. 246. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Legion Post No. 246 or to the American Cancer Society.

Denny was born July 2, 1948, in Moline, to Eugene and Joan McClelland Creen. He married Gloria Faye Twete on Jan. 16, 1971, in North Dakota, while stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Denny graduated Moline High School in 1967, before he enlisted into the United States Air Force. After being honorably discharged, Denny returned to the Quad-Cities area with his family. He retired from the United States Postal Service in Moline in 2006, with 29 years of service.

Denny spent much of his life dedicated to others. He was active in the local Dad's Club organization while his children were young and could be found at various sporting events either as a coach, player or fan. Denny was a proud member of National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 318, and held several officer positions over the course of his career. Denny served as a trustee and adjutant of American Legion Post No. 246 of Moline. Denny enjoyed playing with his grandsons, spending time with family and friends and golfing. Above all of these accomplishments, Denny was a beloved family man, especially to his three grandsons.

Survivors include his wife, Gloria Creen, Moline; daughter, Jodie (Dan) Wesemann, Moline; son, Chad (Steph) Creen, Denver, Colo.; grandsons, Connor and Parker Wesemann and Kellan Creen; mother, Joan Creen, Moline; brothers, Michael (Saundra) Creen, Whiteville, N.C., Steven Creen, Moline; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and close family friends too numerous to list but all greatly loved.

He was preceded in death by his father, Eugene, and many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins.

Online condolences may be left for the family by visiting his obituary at www.esterdahl.com.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tom Getz, RIP

Thomas G. Getz

January, 17, 2012 | Sign the Guestbook | Email AnnouncementMOLINE — Thomas G. Getz, 84, of Moline, died Sunday, January 15, 2012, at Trinity Rock Island.

Services are 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Congregational Church, Moline, with the Reverend Jacqueline Perry officiating. Burial is in Oakwood Cemetery, Geneseo. Visitation is 4 to 7 p.m. today at Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Moline. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Two Rivers YMCA, Quad-City Arts, or Boy Scouts of America.
Tom was born October 17, 1927, in Moline, the ninth of 10 children of Harry W. and Carolyn (Ainsworth) Getz. He attended Moline schools through his high school sophomore year and graduated from Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, in 1945. He graduated from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1950, with a degree in economics.

Tom married Karen F. Hartman on December 26, 1973, in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She died October 5, 2007.
He served as an ensign in the United States Coast Guard during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, as a communications and deck watch officer on the 311-foot cutter Bering Strait out of Seattle. His ship worked the North Pacific to Japan route on ocean station duty and search and rescue missions.

Tom returned to Moline in February 1953, and was employed by Williams, White & Company. In 1957, he started working part-time at Moline Forge and was in charge of finance. In 1963, he became president of Moline Forge and was in charge of general operations while still remaining an officer in Williams, White & Company.
Tom was active in and an integral part of an almost unfathomable number of community organizations and causes.

He was long involved in the Two Rivers YMCA as board president and was later the chairman of its Board of Trustees. He was chairman of the 1968 campaign to raise over $2 million in capital funds to build the new YMCA on 53rd Street in Moline. He also received the YMCA’s Life-Time Achievement Award.

He was a past president of the Illowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Earlier, he had achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1943 and later he received the Silver Beaver Award and served as a vice president of Area 3 BSA.
Tom was also the first president of Quad-City Arts when it was founded in 1988 and remained as treasurer for many years. He also served as chairman of the Bettendorf Civil Service Commission, on the advisory council for the Quad-City Salvation Army, was past Commodore of the White Lake Yacht Club in Whitehall, Michigan, was named Boss of the Year by the American Business Women’s Association, served as co-chair for the Christian Friendliness Capital Campaign, and served on the Board of Trustees for Rivermont Collegiate School in Bettendorf.

He was a past board member of Augustana College. He also served on the Board for The United Way, where he served as chairman and was president of various committees. He was on the Board of the Forging Industry Association, the Illinois Humanities Council, the Quad-Cities Regional Economic Development Authority, Renew Moline, and First Federal Savings and Loan in Davenport. Tom was a past president of The Forging Industry Association, City Treasurer of Bettendorf for 10 years, and received the Distinguished Philanthropy Award from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives and the William B. Foster Community Volunteer Award by the Modern Woodman of America in 1999. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement’s QC Business Hall of Fame.
He was among the business leaders responsible for bringing about the I wireless Center, the John Deere Commons, and all of the development that has been built up in downtown Moline as a result of the public/private partnership between the city and Renew Moline.

Tom served as the Chairman of the Rock Island Republican Party and was always eager to engage in political debate with anyone at all, anywhere, any time, and under any set of circumstances at all.

Tom was a supporter of Skip-A-Long Day Care, the Renew Moline Boys and Girls Club, Junior Achievement and the former Quad-Cities Development Group. He was also a supporter of the Quad-City Arts Annual Festival of Trees, the Quad-City Symphony Orchestra, Arrowhead Ranch, the Family Museum and Putnam Museum.
In 2008, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Q-C chapter gave Tom the Distinguished Service to Philanthropy Award for his “exceptional generosity, his leadership and significant and lasting impact...on our community.”

Tom’s role in each of the civic groups enumerated above was never, ever that of a simple figurehead. He was always the person who quietly rolled up his sleeves, went to work, persevered, and got the job done.
For many years, Tom served as a member of the Distinguished Clown Corps in the Quad-City Arts Thanksgiving Parade. Although many of his grandchildren also served as clowns alongside of him on the parade route, Tom always had the most fun.

Following his wife Karen’s death, Tom established the Moline Fund in Karen’s memory in an effort to give children a chance to spend their summer months as Karen had.

Tom and Karen also owned Gendler’s Wine Store from 2001 to 2007.

Tom is survived by his children, Dr. Thomas Getz and his wife, Margaret Burrows-Getz, of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bettina (Tina) Getz and her husband, William Judge, of River Forest, Illinois, and Christopher Getz of Melbourne Beach, Florida; grandchildren, Meghan Metzger and her husband, Michael, of Washington, D.C., Lara Getz of East Grand Rapids, Eli Judge and Caitlin (Casey) Judge of Chicago, and Skyler Getz and Jacob (Jake) Getz of Grant, Florida; a sister, Carol Bartholomew of Del Ray Beach, Florida; too many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins to count; and his longtime assistant, Tiffany Erichsen. He was preceded in death by his wife, Karen, three brothers, five sisters, and his first wife, Diana Barrott Mannon, the mother of his three children.
The family invites you to share stories and condolences and light a candle in Tom’s memory atwww.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.

From the Star of the Judy Marsh Dancers

Judy Marsh is in the center.

"You did a wonderful job in putting this book together. The hours, effort and more hours you spent for all of your classmates is greatly appreciated by all and will not be forgotten."

Judy Marsh Ramsay