Robert Baird (November 13, 1921 – July 7, 1992) was a highly decorated

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. During World War II, he shot down a total of six Japanese planes and was awarded the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

, making him the only Marine

night fighter A night fighter (later known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor post-Second World War) is a largely historical term for a fighter aircraft, fighter or interceptor aircraft adapted or designed for effective use at night, during pe ...

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...

of the war.

Early life and career

Robert Baird was born on November 13, 1921, in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

on July 30, 1942. Entering the Aviation Cadet Program, he was designated a

Naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...

and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on March 1, 1943. Baird was assigned to Marine Night Fighter Squadron 532 (VMF(N)-532) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina in June 1943. He was with that squadron when it deployed to the

Pacific Theater The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

in February 1944. Baird returned to the United States that November.

Battle of Okinawa

Baird deployed to the Pacific for a second tour, joining Marine Night Fighter Squadron 533 (VMF(N)-533). On May 7, 1945, the squadron flew its 15 F6F Hellcats over 1,000 miles from

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, the longest flight over water by a single-engine aircraft squadron during World War II. Arriving at Okinawa, Baird and the rest of his squadron landed at Yontan Field. The squadron operated off of

Ie Shima , previously romanized in English as Ie Shima, is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa Island. The island measures in circumference and covers . As of December 2012 the island had ...

. On the night of June 9,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Baird used his radar to score his first victory, a Japanese reconnaissance plane. The night of June 16, Baird shot down two more enemy aircraft, including one bomber. On the night of June 22, which was officially the last day of the

battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...

, Captain Baird claimed two more victories, along with ace status. Baird would claim his sixth and final kill of the war on the night of July 13. Captain Baird became the first and only Marine night fighter ace of World War II. Additionally, he was the only Marine F6F Hellcat ace of the war. Baird was awarded multiple medals for his skillful airmanship during this time, including the Navy Cross, the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Later career and life

Baird returned to the United States in September 1945, where he was assigned to several different squadrons at Cherry Point for the next two years. After a few months at

Quantico, Virginia Quantico (; formerly Potomac) is a town in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., bound ...

, he was ordered to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California in November 1948. In October 1950, Baird deployed to

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, where he served with several different night fighter squadrons until September 1951. After the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, he was again assigned to several different units at Quantico, Cherry Point, and El Toro. In the late 1950s, Baird was stationed at Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, and then

Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay or MCAS Kaneohe Bay is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) airfield located within the Marine Corps Base Hawaii complex, formerly known as Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Kaneohe Bay or Naval Air Station (N ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

until January 1961. From mid 1961 to mid 1965, Baird was assigned to

Headquarters Marine Corps The Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The funct ...

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

. He then spent the next two years at Naval Air Station Alameda, California. In August 1967, he deployed to

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, where he served as the Chief of Staff for the

1st Marine Aircraft Wing The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa Island, Okina ...

until September of the following year. He was awarded the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

for his service in Vietnam. Baird retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of colonel on July 1, 1971. Robert Baird died on July 7, 1992, in

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 488,863. Its seat of government and largest city is Santa Rosa. Sonoma County comprises the Santa Rosa-Petaluma ...

. He was buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Awards and decorations

Navy Cross citation

Citation:

For extraordinary heroism as Pilot of a Fighter Plane in Marine Night Fighting Squadron FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE in action against enemy Japanese forces in the vicinity of Okinawa Shima, Ryukyu Group, on the nights of 9 June, 16 June and 13 July 1945. Courageous and aggressive while engaged in combat air patrol, CaptainRobert Baird skillfully employed his radar to make contact with an enemy reconnaissance plane on 9 June and, striking quickly and furiously at low altitude, destroyed the hostile aircraft. Again, while on combat air patrol on the night of 16 June, he intercepted an enemy bomber and, pressing home a determined run, shot down the hostile plane. Later, the same night by making excellent use of his radar, he established contact with another Japanese aircraft and destroyed it. Captain Baird's fourth kill during this period occurred on the night of 13 July when, after establishing radar contact with an enemy bomber, he fearlessly closed in and, firing bursts from all six guns, shot down the hostile aircraft. His courage, daring airmanship and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.Valor Awards for Robert Baird
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, Robert 1921 births 1992 deaths Military personnel from California United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War American World War II flying aces Aviators from California Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) United States Marine Corps colonels United States Marine Corps pilots of World War II United States Naval Aviators Recipients of the Air Medal