Milford chronicle., 1959-07-24
Kent-SuSser Guard
Units Will Honor
Col. Ralph S. Baker
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ONE d. Niles, Jr., of Smyrna, and
the Bn/19S Arty of Seaford and
LAUREL. commanded by 1t. Col.
Kenneth ID. Madden of Seaford.
During the ceremonies Battery
A of 5 Bn (Skysweeper) 1913 Ar
tillery of Laurel, commanded by 1t.
Marvel c. McWilliams, will be
awarded the Eisenhower trophy for
Delaware for being the unit hav-
ing the highest efficiency rating in
training for the year 1858. At the
same time the 1t. Col Henry C..
Ray trophy will be awarded to the
5 Bn (Skysweeper) 1913 Artillery
for excellence in drill attendance,
recruiting, completion of Army ex-
tension courses, rating of Excel
lent or better in inspections con-
Quoted by Second U. S. Army, and
prompt submissions of reports to
higher headquarters. 1t. Col Ken
meth G. Madden is the commander
of Bn/19S Artillery.
Colonel Baker, now residing at
3OS North Bedford Street, George
town, is married to the former Miss
May Willis. They have three chill
dren, Mrs. Lorna B. Hitch, 1t.
Marshall H. Baker (Signal Corps),
and Ralph S. Baker, II.
Colonel Baker was graduated
from the University of Delaware in
1924, and he received his degree
of III from Hooruo Wocbinn40,,
Law School in 1881.
At the present Colonel Baker
can count over 81 years of mill
tary service in the armed forces
of the United States. He was COM
missioned a second lieutenant in
artillery (ORC) in June 1923, and
was promoted to first lieutenant in
October 1881. In July 1886 he
Joined the Delaware National
Coast Artillery in Georgetown. He
was appointed Executive officer of
the 261st in November 1910 and
promoted to the rank of major.
His unit was inducted into Fed
eral service in January 1941 and
assigned to Fort DUPONT.
In April 1941 Colonel Baker, then
Major, was assigned as command
ing officer of the Harbor Defense
Detachment at Fort Miles. At that
time Fort Miles was just a name,
nothing existed there but the sand
dunes typical of the Delaware
coast. Major Bakers first project
was to establish a tent camp and
headquarters to organize the con-
struction of the present establish
ment. Later that year, September
1941, he was appointed as Execu-
tive officer of the Harbor Defenses
at Fort Miles. In May 1912, he was
promoted to 1t. Colonel and the
following month assigned as COM
manding office of 261st Coast Ar
tillery Battalion, still located at
Fort Miles; the following August
he was sent to attend the Antiair
craft Artillery School at Camp Da-
Wis, North Carolina.
Upon graduation from the AAA
School he was appointed comman
der of the 465th AAA Automatic
Weapons Battalion in September
1912. He took his battalion to the
European Theater of Operations in
June 1914 and served in General
Patton's Third U. S. Army through
the Northern France, Rhineland,
Central Europe, and Ardennes
campaigns, returning to this coun-
try in August 1945, and being sep
arated from active service few
weeks later.
In December 1945 Colonel Baker
returned to active duty and was
posted as a student at the Military
Government School at Charlottes-
vile, Virginia. Upon graduation
from this school, he was assigned
as Chief ORC Section, 1862 Sou,
Fort Dix, New Jersey. In March
1916 Colonel Baker was transfer
red to the Headquarters of Harbor
Defenses of New York, being as
signed as Radar officer. Two
months later he was reassigned
as Commanding Office of Harbor
Defenses at Fort Miles, Delaware.
In December 1916, he was again
separated from active service.
However, Colonel Bakers service
to his country was not yet at an
end With the postwar reorgani
cation of the Army National Guard
in it's early stages, Col. Baker join