John Baker almost single-handedly performed two amazing things in battle: he rescued fallen and wounded buddies, and destroyed enemy bunkers and snipers. Details of his heroism are vividly described in his official citation.

His incredible bravery took part during America’s aggressive Operation Attleboro. Beginning in September 1966, this search-and-destroy operation’s goal was to rout out the Viet Cong and destroy their ability to fight. Expecting light opposition, American troops ran head-on into a Viet Cong base camp stronghold and encountered very strong resistance. After the Viet Cong withdrew, American forces discovered and seized a base camp with large weapons caches and bunkers like those Baker encountered. The Viet Cong lost over a thousand soldiers. U.S. losses included 155 deaths and 494 wounded.

Baker had this to say about his heroic actions:

“I just did what I had to do. I was just trying to help my fellow soldiers the best I could.”

“We don’t win the Medal. We are caretakers of it, and we receive it by doing what we are supposed to do.”

At a White House ceremony, President Lyndon Johnson conferred the award to Baker and his commander, Captain Foley, for deeds during the same action. These are the President’s opening remarks:

“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.”