19JUN-07JUL1944: For continually taking on and destroying sizable enemy forces during the Battle of Saipan, SGT Thomas Baker would be awarded the Medal of Honor. With his unit hung up during on offensive, SGT Baker found a bazooka and crawled to within 100 yards of the enemy emplacement. Without regard for his own safety, SGT Baker stood, fired, and destroyed the bunker allowing US troops to continue on. A few days later, while protecting his unit against a surprise attack from the rear, SGT Baker came across twelve enemy soldiers hiding in wait. Without hesitation and despite being heavily outnumbered, SGT Baker attacked and destroyed the entire group. Not finished for the day, SGT Baker then stumbled across another group of six enemy soldier who he again attacked and destroyed himself. In the early morning of 07JUL1944, SGT Baker was manning the American lines when they were hit and overrun by 4,000 enemy fighters and civilians in the largest bonzai attack of the war. Severely wounded, SGT Baker continued to engage the enemy in hand to hand combat until his weapon was battered to the point of being unusable. As a fellow Soldier evacuated Baker, he demanded to be put down, stating that he would rather be left for dead than risk the lives of those carrying him out. Handed a pistol with eight rounds, SGT Baker propped himself against a tree directly in the line of the enemy assault. After the attack, SGT Thomas Baker was found propped against the same tree having been killed in the assault. Around his body were eight dead enemy soldiers.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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