It’s not every day a veteran gets to revisit the ground he used to walk as a young soldier. But for U.S. Navy Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class (Ret.) Gerald “Jerry” Baker, his dream finally became a reality.

Nearly four years ago, Jerry Baker was a delighted passenger on Honor Flight Arizona which flies WWII, Cold War, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to see their memorials in Washington D.C.

Accompanied by his son, Mark Baker, Jerry and the rest of the Honor Flight crew spent the night in Baltimore. It was there when Jerry was approached by an unnamed gentleman who asked if he had served in the Coast Guard. Jerry nodded and was told of a Coast Guard Cutter ship stationed in the historic Baltimore Inner Harbor that he might like to see.

“I said, ‘Which one?’” Jerry replied. “He said it was the Taney. Well, that was the ship I was on!”

During the Korean War, Jerry spent 18 months as an engineman on the WHEC-37, formerly known as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Taney. Although Jerry and Mark weren’t able to revisit the ship, they vowed that day in Baltimore to return.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jerry waited patiently until he could safely travel back East to see his old ship. Finally, during the week of Memorial Day, Jerry and Mark woke up at 3 a.m. to catch a flight to Baltimore to visit the WHEC-37 and live out Jerry’s dream since his time in the Coast Guard.

“It was something he was really looking forward to and to go with him was pretty special,” Mark said.

The Queen of the Pacific

Built in 1936, the WHEC-37 was berthed in Honolulu Harbor when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. To this day, it is the only surviving ship from the infamous attack.

For the next decade, the WHEC-37 patrolled the Honolulu waters, conducting depth charge attacks on submarines, survived a German attack off the shore of Portugal and downed numerous Japanese suicide air attacks before returning to Alameda, Calif., as an ocean station weather ship.

It was in Alameda that Baker completed his 18-week boot camp. After graduating from Engineman school, Baker came aboard the WHEC-37 ready to put his training to work.

Onboard the ship, Jerry worked in the machine room making repairs to the steam ship’s valves and operating the diesel generator. As a newly designated weather ship, the WHEC-37 crew released weather balloons into the sky while meteorologists measured wind speed and wind direction, air pressure, temperature and relative humidity. For 30 days at a time, Jerry and the crew aboard the WHEC-37 would follow the balloons through the waters of Japan, Alaska and back to California.

“It was the Queen of the Pacific,” Jerry said proudly.

Stationed in Alameda, Jerry served three years in the Coast Guard while his wife, Lois, worked at Bank of America in Oakland, Calif.

The WHEC-37 received three battle stars and several theater ribbons for its service in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The ship was decommissioned on December 7, 1986, and now serves as a museum and a National Historic Landmark which Jerry and Mark had the privilege to visit.

“We had a special tour of the ship and went in places that most people couldn’t go and had a lot of memories brought back,” Jerry said.

Jerry and Lois reside in MorningStar of Fountain Hills. The couple have been Fountain Hills residents for 25 years and recently celebrated 70 years of marriage. Jerry is a member of the VFW Post 7507 and the American Legion Post 58.

Mark says he and his father share a special bond and felt privileged to share the experience with him.

“He said several times, ‘I didn’t think I’d see her again,’” Mark said. “We had a great time.”