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By Matt Saintsing
After completing Officer Candidate School, World War II veteran Vernon Baker led troops in German-occupied Italy. His courage in spearheading an attack on an enemy stronghold resulted in him belatedly receiving the Medal of Honor. Photo credit:  AP PHOTO/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW, JESSE TINSLEY, FILE
How a DAV member and courageous warrior became the first living African American World War II Medal of Honor recipient
Of the seven Black World War II Army veterans to receive the Medal of Honor in 1997, Vernon Baker was the sole survivor. More than half a century had passed between the day he led a fearless attack in German-occupied Italy to when President Bill Clinton belatedly presented Baker with the nation’s highest award for valor. ....

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