MYRTIS LEE BAKER

Please click here to view a student eulogy for Baker at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in 2025: https://youtu.be/y72dyqzusjE.

Biography Early Life Myrtis Lee Baxter was born in Donaldsonville, Georgia, but grew up in Lakeland, Florida. In 1945, after completing eighth grade, she dropped out of school so that she could help take care of her parents. Her father, James had heart problems, and her mother, Bessie Mae, was disabled, relying on crutches after the loss of one of her legs. At some point, Baxter moved north to Georgia. She supported her parents by working as a barmaid and waitress in Gordon’s Continental Room in Albany, Georgia. Records in Alabama show that she married in February 1953, but her Official Military Personnel File also indicated that she was divorced. In August 1953, she completed the GED requirements and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps to help her family while supporting her country. Homefront More than 294,000 Floridians were a part of the U.S. Armed Forces in the years leading up to, and including, the Korean War. About one hour away from Lakeland, in Orlando, the U.S. Air Force reactivated a facility named the Pinecastle Air Force Base in 1951 and invested $100 million into the facility to create more runways and flight training operations. During the mid-1900s, Florida's agricultural industry thrived, producing citrus, corn, celery, cucumbers, avocados, and more. World War II and the Korean War shifted shipping methods, with cardboard boxes replacing wooden crates for produce and logos moving from printed labels to direct box printing. Florida became the top citrus producer in 1942 and 1943, surpassing California, and patented a process for frozen concentrated orange juice. The cotton industry also grew. The 1945 discovery of DDT revolutionized pest control, though its long-term effects on wildlife and agriculture later proved harmful. Military Experience On October 22, 1953, Myrtis L. Baxter enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, signing a three-year contract. Two days later she arrived at Parris Island Recruit Depot for basic training. On December 21, 1953, she was promoted to private first class and completed her training the next day. On January 4, 1954, she reported for duty with the Headquarters and Service Battalion, Woman Marine Company at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. There she primarily worked as a meat cutter. A few weeks later, on January 18, 1954, she requested to attend the Supply Clerks Course at Camp Lejeune, an effort that was supported by three of her commanding officers. Her request was not approved, but she was told that she would be assigned to a course starting in March 1954. However, additional documentation dated February 23 indicated that her request was canceled because “women marines [sic] are not eligible for assignment” to the Basic Stockman Course and “proper facilities are not available for Women Marines” during field training exercises. Private First Class Baxter’s military career came to a quick end upon receiving news of her father’s deteriorating condition. Baxter’s mother, along with her father’s doctor, wrote to superior officers multiple times requesting that she be discharged. Her father had many health concerns that prevented him from being able to care for himself, while her mother was disabled and unable to work. On April 26, 1954, Baxter requested a hardship discharge, which was granted three days later. Veteran Experience Private First Class Myrtis Baxter had a unique military and Veteran experience, as she was only in the service for less than a year. She had a heart of service. True to her character, she took care of her father and mother until their passing. She married Chester Earl Baker (records are unclear if they married before or after she entered the Marine Corps). Later, they moved to Vilonia, Arkansas. Commemoration Myrtis and Chester lived in Arkansas until his passing in 2009 and her passing in 2011. They are buried together at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Bibliography Primary Sources Dahlgren, Robert E. Employees at the Florence Citrus Growers Association packing boxes. Photograph. April 3, 1934. Louise Frisbee Collection, Florida Memory (FR0732). https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/118271. Downtown Lakeland. Photograph. 1958. Lakeland Photograph Collection, Lakeland Public Library (p2303). https://lakelandpubliclibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15809coll7/id/337/rec/29. Florida. Polk County. 1935 Florida State Census. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. Florida. Polk County. 1940 U.S. Federal Census. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. Florida. Polk County. 1945 Florida State Census. Digital images. http://ancestryclassroom.com. Florida. Polk County. 1950 U.S. Federal Census. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. Jenkins, George. Publix Super Markets Warehouse. Photograph. 1951. Lakeland Photograph Collection, Lakeland Public Library. https://lakelandpubliclibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15809coll24/id/20. Myrtis L. Baxter. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995. https://ancestryclassroom.com. Myrtis Lee Baxter. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Navy. U.S. Marine Corps, National Archives and Records Administration - St. Louis. Myrtis Lee Baxter, U.S., Muster Rolls of the Marine Corps, 1798-1957. https://ancestryclassroom.com. “Myrtis Linda Baker.” Arkansas Democratic Gazette [Little Rock, Arkansas], March 23, 2011. https://www.arkansasonline.com/obituaries/2011/mar/23/myrtis-baker-2011-03-23/?=/&subcategory=652%7CSports. Secondary Sources “About Lakeland.” City of Lakeland. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.lakelandgov.net/fun/about-lakeland/. “Chester Earl Baker.” Find a Grave. Updated April 26, 2009. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36398514/chester_earl-baker. “Florida Crate Labels, 1920s-1950s.” Florida Memory, State Library and Archives of Florida. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/historical_records/crate-labels/. “Florida During World War II.” Florida Center for Instructional Technology. Last modified 2002. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/ww_ii/ww_ii1.htm. “Historic Photos: A look back through time at Lakeland.” The Ledger, June 13, 2020. https://www.theledger.com/picture-gallery/news/2018/07/13/historic-photos-a-look-back/66159457007/. “Korean War Veterans.” Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://floridavets.org/our-veterans/korean-veterans/. “Myrtis Lee Baker.” Find A Grave. Updated June 30, 2011. Accessed October 31, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72288633/myrtis_lee-baker/. “Myrtis Lee Baker.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/MYRTISLEEBAKER/804d09. Shaw, Frederick J., ed. Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy. Air Force History and Museums Program, 2004. https://www.amc.af.mil/Portals/12/documents/AFD-131018-055.pdf. This profile was researched by Hayden Bray, Jackson Clarke, Kerrigan Lenox, Jonathan Lindsey, Aimslee Minner, Eden Revels, Clark Simmons, Bentley Smart, Lily Spinks, Autumn Tyson, and Lucas Yenner, mentored by Harmony Grove Middle School teacher Mr. Brandon Bagwell, as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2024/2025 academic year. This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.