MI:Washtenaw County honor guard holds service for Vietnam veteran who died homeless

Washtenaw County honor guard holds service for Vietnam veteran who died homeless
Posted by Tom Gantert
The Ann Arbor News August 28, 2008 17:36PM

Alan Warren | The Ann Arbor News
Ken Rogge of the Washtenaw County Honor Guard presents an American flag to Barbara Sherwood, sister of Robert Baker Jr., during a funeral service for Baker at Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti on Thursday.

"He is a classic example of an individual that was never able to transition back." - Mark Lindke, director of the Washtenaw County Veteran Services, speaking of homeless veteran Robert Baker.


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He died homeless, alone in the woods on a mattress.

Robert N. Baker Jr. was buried Thursday with a brigadier general present and an honor guard that made a rifle salute to the deceased Vietnam veteran.

"Even if this guy dies in the woods alone, we know him and we know what he did," said Mark Lindke, director of the Washtenaw County Veteran Services.

After hearing of Baker's death, Lindke made sure he got a proper military sendoff. Lindke said Baker, whose body was discovered Aug. 18, died of natural causes from heart failure.

"Here is just another casualty of the Vietnam War. It just took a few more years to run its course," Lindke said.

Baker, 64, was buried in the Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti next to his father, Robert N. Baker Sr. Both were sergeants in the U.S. Army. The father, who served in World War II, died in 2005. His son served in the Vietnam War, where he was given a combat infantry badge.

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