Addison Baker

On this Memorial Day, we remember Lt. Col. Addison Baker, a bomber pilot who was killed in action during a low-level raid on Ploiesti, Romania, in 1943.

Flying a B-24 named Hell’s Wench, Lt. Col. Addison Baker led his group straight into a storm of enemy fire during the Ploiesti Raid, one of the deadliest missions of World War II. Even after his bomber was hit and engulfed in flames, he held formation, dropped his bombs on target, and tried to gain altitude so his crew might have a chance to survive.

Nearly 300 American airmen were lost that day. Baker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary courage and in 2022, nearly 80 years later, he was finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

We don’t say “thank you” lightly. We remember. We honor. And we speak their names. Rest in peace, Lt. Col. Addison Baker