Greece, N.Y. – ‘Quilts of Valor’ gifted quilts to several veterans at the Legacy at Park Crescent senior living community on Saturday to express gratitude to them for their service. Each recipient served in a different war and branch of the military. Their names were called and they were draped in a one-of-a-kind quilt that was handmade by a volunteer with ‘Quilts of Valor.’
“I feel honored that my family, my cousin thought of me and made a quilt for me and invited me to come to this ceremony today,” said Robert Baker, a veteran of the Vietnam War. Baker went to Vietnam in May 1966. He was seriously injured seven months later.
“When I got shot, I didn’t know I was wounded at the time I was shot,” he said. “I was shot through my left arm in my left chest. I laid there for approximately nine hours. People ask me, ‘how come I didn’t bleed to death?’ I says, ‘that is something I don’t know,’ but I laid there with another marine and we waited to be rescued.”
Baker was eventually taken to the hospital in a helicopter.
“They were pulling me off of the helicopter, which I did not know and they did not know, all the marines who were on that helicopter were dead,” he said. “When they pulled me out, they grabbed me by my legs and pulled me off of the helicopter and I screamed because they grabbed me and held my left arm and hurt my back. I screamed and they said, ‘this marine’s alive.’
Once in the hospital, Baker met Father Capodanno, a chaplin known for providing spiritual support to marines. He was with Baker as he headed into the operating room.
“[The doctor] said we’re going to count back from 100 and Father Capodanno looked over and he said, ‘no, we’re going to say the Lord’s prayer.’ So I started and I said, ‘our father’ and that’s all I remember,” said Baker. “I woke and who was standing next to me was Father Capodanno. He said everything was ok. Before we said the Lord’s prayer, he told me he goes, ‘don’t worry, the Lord is with us today.’”
Baker went on to receive the purple heart distinction after he was wounded on duty.
“Everybody says, ‘how were you honored to be given the purple heart by a three-star general?,'” said Baker. “I says, ‘I don’t know. He just happened to pick me out, but it was an honor to receive it.”
Saturday’s ceremony reminded him of the other marines that risked their lives to save him and countless others.
“The gentleman that died helping me gave their life trying to keep me alive,” said Baker. “I had a Corps man that died on me. I had a friend that got shot a number of times trying to help me and a few other marines that were wounded. Those are the ones that I think about more.”
Source: WHAM
