Matthew Baker

Matt Baker is a soft-spoken young man who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. When the war started he volunteered to be a paratrooper, but never expected to lead his squad.

Matthew Baker was the son of Colonel Joseph and Julia Baker and was born at Fort Benning, Georgia on February 22, 1921. His parents divorced in 1929 when Matt was only eight. On the day he left, Joseph presented Matt with a custom made, nickel plated, Colt M1911 inscribed "To Matthew: Brothers in Arms". Julia came from a wealthy family and military life did not agree with her, so Matt had to give it back to his father.

Colonel Joseph Baker continued to be assigned around the US Army posts in the US, Panama, and China. Matt only communicated with his father on rare visits and through letters. Baker grew up with his mother in St. Louis, Missouri during the Great Depression.

When Matt was at High School, he became close friends with George Risner. They both graduated from high school in 1939 and enlisted in the US Army on June 9th 1939, the day after they graduated from high school. Matt then took the Colt M1911 pistol back from his father, and took it to war with him.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Matt and George volunteered for the newly activated airborne divisions of the United States Army.

They went through basic training together and both wanted to join the paratroopers. Unfortunately, George broke his leg in basic training and was put into another training class. Matt volunteered for the paratroopers and trained at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was assigned to the 3rd Squad of the 3rd Platoon of Fox Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Parachute Infantry of the 101st Airborne division, two weeks before D-Day.

Sergeant Saunderson, the squad leader of 3rd Squad broke his arm in a practice parachute jump and Platoon Sergeant; Greg "Mac" Hassay (who knew Baker's father) promoted Corporal Matt Baker to Sergeant and placed him in charge of 3rd squad.

On June 6, 1944, Baker and his squad parachuted into Normandy. However, as his squad was waiting for the green light to begin the jump, the C-47 was hit by FLaK, killing Private Muzza (3rd Squad's first casualty) and knocking Baker out of the plane. In his first near- death experience, Baker was able to deploy his parachute and landed safely. After he found the nearest road he found "Mac" Hassay and fought with him for most of D-Day.

Throughout the campaign, Baker leads his squad through various battles that claim the lives of most soldiers in 3rd Squad, including the capture of Objective XYZ and of Vierville, Purple Heart Lane, Cole's Charge, the Battle of Carentan, and the defense of Hill 30 on the outskirts of Carentan. To read about Baker's story throughout the game, visit the articles on the levels of Road To Hill 30.

During the battle on Hill 30, Baker was knocked to the ground by a tank shell and a piece of shrapnel from the explosion left a prominent scar on his forehead. Whilst the other soldiers were fighting, Baker managed to contact the tanks and bring them back to the battle, going round the back and wiping out the German forces. He and the remaining members of the squad went back to Carentan, Baker carrying the dead body of a fellow soldier, Kevin Leggett. He is then present outside Carentan Cathederal where the promotions take place, and where it was cut short by German mortar fire.

After Normandy, Baker's platoon is folded into a brand new Reconnaissance platoon. The recon platoon relies on their jeeps for fast movement through the battlefields to recon and harass enemy positions. The squad is broken up to two teams assigned into jeeps.

Baker is now suffering from too much guilt, and is seeing ghosts of his dead squad members that are haunting him, mostly Leggett. He is then forced by Dawson to tell his men that he knew what had happened to Allen and Garnett in Normandy. The men almost lose their trust in Baker, but after a speech he gives in the final cutscene, all except Corrion, stand by him. Baker also seems to finally have enough with the rumors about his supposed "cursed" pistol and throws it into the woods during his final speech, declaring, "It's just a goddamn gun!"