“It’s important to continue to honor their legacy,” retired North Dakota Army National Guard 1st Sgt. Marvin Baker, Carpio, said in his ceremony address. “Because the more time that goes by, the fewer details that are remembered, which is why it’s important to not just honor your family members, but document military information about them before it’s forgotten forever. Forgetting them is unacceptable.”

Baker served about 35 years in the National Guard, deploying to Iraq, Grenada and other locations over those years.

He spoke about his recent interest in his family tree, which led to his research into his uncle, Albert Harris Baker of Hazelton, who died in battle during World War II. With family memories faded or forgotten, a tremendous effort went into reconstructing his uncle’s story, Baker said.

“Don’t fall into that same predicament and have to reinvent the wheel for your own family. Honor your loved ones. Talk about them, their service, their personality, their goals. They would have wanted it that way. They deserve it,” he said.

Submitted Photo A crowd gathered for the Memorial Day program in Donnybrook, with speaker Marvin Baker, on Monday, May 25. Photo by Roxanne Quigley.

Pfc Bert Baker, 27, was killed by a Japanese sniper during a banzai attack on Attu Island, one of the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska. He was in the 50th Engineer Combat Regiment and was part of a mission called Operation Land Crab, designed to drive the Japanese off Attu. His death occurred on May 29, 1943.

“A total of 549 American soldiers lost their lives in the Battle of Attu, with another 1,100 wounded and 2,100 evacuated because of disease and frostbite. It is estimated as well that 2,400 Japanese were killed in that same 2½ week battle on the island,” Marvin Baker said. Buried with other soldiers on the island, his uncle’s body was exhumed five years later and was reburied at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. Baker visited his uncle’s grave last July 4.

In February, Baker submitted a photo and information on behalf of Bert Baker to American Legion Post 128 in Hazelton, where a banner bearing his photo and information will hang on a downtown light pole.

Baker said he also submitted a photo and information for three other uncles who went to war but came back to tell their stories.

Baker recalled the losses the N.D. National Guard experienced since Operation Iraqi Freedom, reciting the names of those he called among the brightest and most motivated North Dakota had to offer.

Submitted Photo Dave Miller poses with the quilt made by Ilene Hoff of Kenmare, who has made several quilts for the Donnybrook American Legion to give to veterans. Miller’s quilt was presented at the Memorial Day program in Donnybrook on Monday, May 25. Photo by Roxanne Quigley, junior member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Donnybrook.

“They would all have a story to tell, if they could tell it. Since they can’t, we need to honor them, their service and tell others what we know about them,” Baker said.

Baker reminded the audience of the more than 10,000 “unknowns” buried in American cemeteries in France alone. More than 5,000 unknowns are buried at Arlington. There are also 979 completely unknown Civil War Soldiers buried in various cemeteries across the nation, he said.

“We need to recognize those ‘unknowns’ and their sacrifices as well. They had families. They had personalities. They had ambitions to do things after the war. They, too, were heroes, even though we will never know their names,” he said.

The Memorial Day ceremony included the traditional presentation of the colors, patriotic music and military honors with rifle fire and Taps. In keeping with another tradition in Donnybrook, the auxiliary served a buffet meal following the program.