Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, enlisted in the Navy last Thursday and passed his preliminary tests at Sioux City. He will go to Des Moines for his final examinations on December 8th.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 26, 1942 p 6
Henry Baker and Billy Kroon left Tuesday from Sioux City for Des Moines for their final examination after enlisting in the Navy and if they are accepted will probably go to Great Lakes, Ill.
Source: Alton Democrat Dec. 11, 1942 p 3
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, who recently enlisted in the navy, received his notice Monday morning and left for Des Moines Monday afternoon. His brother Marion drove him to Sioux City.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 31, 1942 p 8
Henry J. Baker who left just recently for the Navy dropped us a card to give us his address, so he will be glad to hear from the folks here, whenever they would like to write to him.
Henry J. Baker S 1-c
Co. 1971, U.S.N. T.S.
Great Lakes, Ill.
Source: Sioux Center News Jan. 7, 1943 p 6
Henry J. Baker S 1-c
Co. 1971, Camp Dahlgren
Great Lakes, Ill
Source: Sioux Center News Jan 14, 1943 p 10
Henry Baker called his father by telephone Wednesday from the Great Lakes Training Center to congratulate him on his 48th birthday. He also stated that his company had been chosen honor company for the sixth week, for cleanliness in their barracks and for good behavior.
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 25, 1943 p 10
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, arrived here Saturday night from Great Lakes where he has just completed his boot training. He will leave again this coming Saturday night. He has been in the navy three months.
Source: Sioux Center News March 25, 1943 p 9
Arlone and Bernice Kroon and Wilbur Vos took Henry Baker to Sioux City Sunday afternoon where he took the train back to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, after spending a week's furlough at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker.
Source: Sioux Center News April 1, 1943 p 7
Henry Baker has a change of address which will be for a short time as he is waiting to be sent to a service school. Henry Baker S 1-c, Co. 26 U.S.N. T.S., Great Lakes, Ill. O.G.U.
Source: Sioux Center News April 29, 1943 p 10
Henry J. Baker, who has been stationed at Virginia Beach, Va., is now at Key West, Florida, and has been assigned to sea duty. He has no permanent address as yet.
Source: Sioux Center News July 15, 1943 p 8
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, writes from sea:
U.S.S.P.C. 465
August 6, 1943
Dear Ed:-- I guess it's about time I'm writing you a letter. I don't believe I have ever written you a letter and most of the other boys have. I enjoyed reading their letters in the paper and I guess they sometimes wonder where I am and what I am doing. I don't believe I have even sent you my new address. It is:
Henry F. Baker S 1-c
U.S.S. P.C. 465
c.o. Fleet Postmaster
New York City, N. Y.
As you will notice by the address I am enjoying life at sea. The first days at sea weren't so enjoyable. I really was seasick. There were times during my first four days at sea that I felt more like jumping overboard than staying on the ship, but I didn't and I lived through it. The ship I am on is a small ship but there is a certain type of German ships who wish that P. C.'s wouldn't float for reasons I'll not mention here. As to the work I'm doing now I can't say very much about it as that would give away a military secret. I am in a very good trade now but it is quite a secret thing for the present. There are a lot of men in the Navy who are on larger ships that think us P. C. men have a nice life but I'll give any man a month of my pay if after he makes one trip on a P.C. in rough weather and still thinks it's soft. these P.C.'s are the Navy's roughest and toughest ships to be on and it is my luck to be on one but I don't mind. If the other men can take it, so can I. That is about all the news I have. I hope you get this letter soon and that I get my paper again. I haven't received my copy for over a month now and surely do miss it. So long. Just another sailor, Henry Baker.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 12, 1943 p 4
Henry Baker writes that he received a promotion--
Dear Ed:-- It wasn't so long ago since I've written you last but I have a slight change in address so I figured I better let you know about it so I will keep on getting the paper. As you will notice by my address on the end of this letter there is now Rd. M. 3-c behind my name instead of S 1-c. The Rd M means that I am now a third class Radar man. I received the promotion the first of this month. By the way I think I am the only one from Sioux County who has this rate. If I am mistaken I hope the other fellow who has it will let me know about it. I have been getting my paper again lately and sure do enjoy it even though it is usually a month or so old when I get it. I especially enjoy the soldier news and the sermonette for service men. Keep up the good work. Well this was going to be a little note when I started it and it will be too because something tells me this little fellow he's run out of news so I will stop. I hope I will keep on getting the News. So long. Just another sailor, Henry J. Baker.
Henry J. Baker Rd. M. 3-c
U.S.S. P.C. 465
c.o. Fleet Postoffice
New York City, N.Y.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 16, 1943 p 2
BAKER BROTHERS SERVING U.S.
(Photos of Pvt. Marion Baker and Rd. M. 3-c Henry Baker)
Pvt. Marion Baker
Pvt. Marion Baker arrived at the home of his parents Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker on Friday afternoon to spend a 13-day furlough with them. He is stationed at Camp Steward, Ga., in the anti-aircraft division. He has been in service five months.
Rd. M. 3-c Henry Baker
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, enlisted in the Navy last November. He received his boot training at Great Lakes, Ill. Later he went to Virginia Beach and on December 29th left for active duty on board ship. He has been on sea duty since July. Last March he had a ten day furlough.
Source: Sioux Center News Oct. 21, 1943 p 1
Henry Baker arrived at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, on Sunday afternoon to spend a 15-day furlough with them. It was just a year ago Sunday that Henry left for the service and this is his second furlough, having been home last March after finishing his boot training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. He is with the navy and has been on sea duty for the last 4 1/2 months.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 16, 1943 p 3
Henry Baker R. M. 3-c and Bernice Kroon were Sunday evening dinner guests in the Peter B. Mouw home.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 23, 1943 p 4
Henry Baker, who is with the navy and has spent a 10-day furlough at the home of his parents, left again on Monday morning from Le Mars for Key West, Florida, where he is stationed.
Source: Sioux County Index Dec. 23, 1943 p 7
Sioux Center Co-ops Feed The World
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, recently wrote home that they had some eggs to eat, and spying the case from which the eggs were taken he saw the Coop Produce, Sioux Center, Iowa stamp on it. The case was dated July 22. Henry is sailing on the Caribbean Sea; and wrote that it even made him feel good to see the name Sioux Center on the case of eggs.
Source: Sioux Center News Jan. 27, 1944 p 1
SAILOR HOME ON LEAVE
Henry Baker, who is with the navy and who has been on the water 14 months, arrived at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker Friday afternoon to spend a 25 day leave, after which he will report at Key West, Florida. Henry has been in the service for nearly two years and has been serving in the Caribbean area.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 14, 1944 p 2
Pvt. Marion Baker and Miss Wilma De Groot and Miss Bernice Kroon took Henry Baker to Le Mars on Thursday morning to return to Key West, Florida, after enjoying a three weeks' leave at home.
Source: Sioux County Index Oct. 5, 1944 p 7
A new address has just come in for Henry J. Baker, Rd M 2/c, U.S.N.R., c/o Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, Calif. The complete address is on file at the News office.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 23, 1944 p 10
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker of Sioux Center writes from somewhere in the Pacific:--
9 Dec. 1944
Dear Ed:
Well, I guess I owe you folks a letter so I'm going to try to write one for a change. I like writing so well that I don't get around to it very often but eventually I usually do. I still receive my News pretty regular. I believe the idea of sending it first class mail was really a good one. I'm the only one on the ship who gets his home town paper that way. I'm glad of it too because I sure getting it and the quicker the better. While I think of it I also want to thank the Civic Club, the business girls and the church for the packages, and the letters they have sent me. I received my Christmas package from the business girls a couple of weeks ago. Those letters and packages always are a good reminder that the old home town is still there. I also found out that out when I was home the last time as I certainly did enjoy myself all of the time that I was there. I haven't been doing very much of anything lately. I've been moving from place to place a little but that's all. There isn't much excitement to that except that I see a new port once in a while. I haven't seen anybody form around there since I was home but I expect to one of these days as I hear there are one or two fellas in the same area I am. Well, that's all I have to say for this time. Thanks again to the people who have sent me letters and packages and also for the News. Keep it coming.
A "PC" Sailor, Henry
M. J. Baker Rd M 2/c
(call News for ship and No.)
c/o Fleet post office
San Francisco, Calif.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 21, 1944 p 2
Henry Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Baker, has been promoted to Radarman 1/c. At present he is stationed on Kwajalein Island one of the Marshall Islands.
Source: Sioux Center News Oct. 11, 1945 p 12
HENRY BAKER ENROUTE HOME
Pearl Harbor T.H.
Nov. 28, 1945
Dear Ed--Marie too:
Just a few lines to let you know that I'm still around even though you don't hear from me very often. I have been getting the News pretty regular since I saw you 14 months ago. That first class sure did help. Well I've finally started travelling in the right direction. I left Kwajalein about two weeks ago and am now in Pearl Harbor. That's just a start of my travels, though. My ship is on its way to the east coast of the good old U.S.A. and that still is a long way from here. Say that reminds me. When you printed that item about me being advanced in rate a short time ago you had with it that I was stationed on Kwajalein and you were wrong. I have not been stationed on land since July 1943. I went aboard the PC 465 then and am still on it; I guess I'll stay on it too, till I get out of the navy. I also have a little request to make. A little different one from usual. I want to ask you to stop sending me the News after you get this. I'll be doing quite a bit of moving around for the next month or so and my mail will hardly catch up with me before I move on again and besides that I expect to be discharged soon after New Years. That's all. I'm all out of news and have nothing else to say except--be seeing you. Yours truly, Henry Baker.
Source: Sioux Center News Dec. 13, 1945 p 10
Henry Baker arrived home last Tuesday evening and has been discharged from service in the navy. He plans to go back to his former work in the Wandscheer factory.
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 7, 1946 p 8
Servicemen Discharged
Servicemen who filed discharges in the County Recorder's Office since January 30 include:
....
Henry John Baker, Sioux Center
....
Source: Sioux Center News Feb. 7, 1946 p 12
