Talk:Vernon Baker

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[edit] Twenty years and still a lieutenant?

Can someone confirm this fact: He retired in August 1965 as a First Lieutenant. That would indicate twenty two years as a junior officer. Most are at least colonels by then.--Daysleeper47 14:01, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

He had the misfortune to be born with dark skin. Given the racial climate at the time, it took a minor miracle for him to even become an officer in the first place. --Carnildo 17:45, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I was surprised by this also. I would have expected that he would at least have retired as a Captain, but stranger things have happened. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. served fifty years, spending 10 as a Lieutenant Colonel and 10 as a full Colonel. When his son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., graduated from West Point in 1936, they were the only two African-American officers in the Army.

Rank advancement for officers has also varied over the years - for example, in the 19th century, officers could easily stay the same rank for 10 or 20 years because there was no opening in the ranks above them. Similarly, in the small interwar Army (1919-1940), stagnation was the rule. I'm not sure when the modern system of "up or out" was implemented, so it's hard to say what 20 years for any officer at the time would mean.

I would guess that his promotion to First Lieutenant during the war was not a "Regular Army" promotion and he returned to his "normal" rank of Second Lieutenant after the war. Of course, that would still mean that racial injustice only allowed him one promotion after the war. --Habap 16:32, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't wan't to denigrate a great hero, but the sidebar which states he was awareded the medal of honor and distinguished service cross is innacurate. He was awarded the DSC first, and the Medal of Honor later as a promotion in grade as it were because he had been discriminated against in awarding him a DSC when he deserved a MOH in the first place. But at no time would he have been authorized to wear or posses both award at the same time. I have little doubt the discrimation was deeper and that his bronze star should have been a silver star and that any commendations for bravery should have been bronze stars. Still, I have to remove the reference to him having a DSC since he doesn't, he had a DSC, know he has a Medal of Honor.Colin 8 22:46, 29 March 2007 (UTC)