Excerpt from the book: “From Yellow Ribbons to a Gold Star, Biography of a Hero LCpl David R. Baker,
USMC (Published 2013) Compiled by veteran T-M Fitzgerald.
This is taken from an interview with Marine Staff Sergeant Nickomar Santana, Camp Lejeune North Carolina.
-SSgt. Nickomar Santana, USMC“It wasn’t until nearing the final edits of this biographical account that the author asked me for the favor
of contributing a little something extra. I have to admit, it was a difficult decision considering how much responsibility was involved. Generally speaking, whenever somebody writes anything about a Marine, there’s
more than simply crossing T’s and dotting i’s to contend with. I questioned why anybody would want my input about somebody I did not personally know. I considered myself a mere pebble in the pond full of much
larger boulders. But in searching for the answer, it became clear to me. I may never have known him, but by
Baker’s death, I lost a brother. Every Marine lost a brother. In putting pen to paper and creating an introductory piece, I looked at it as a chance to begin this Marine’s story a second time. In accepting such a monumental
task, I considered my thoughts carefully, making sure what I was about to share would not only be reflective
but also significant.”
“It’s for that fact that any Marine who has died in service to this country continues to live on in everyone
who wears the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. It is our responsibility to remember them all. A too often overlooked
fact by the rest of the world is how for us, the loss of a brother is not a cross for just friends and family to bear.
His brother Marines remind mothers and fathers who have lost children to our lifestyle that although they may
have lost one child, they have gained thousands more. It’s all a part of being a Marine. It’s what we do.”
The Warrior Heart November 2014 - 31