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Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal to CCS Ernest F. Baca, USS San Francisco (CA 38); USS Ommaney Bay (CVE 79); KIA USS Columbia (CL 56) Kamikaze 1/6/


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Ernest Faustin (“Ned”) Baca was born at Trinidad, Colorado on 7 March 1916, the youngest son of Faustin (Frank) Baca (1878-1954), a grocery storekeeper, and Refugio (Emma) Urioste (1876-1927), who were born in Colorado and New Mexico Territory, respectively. His older siblings, William E. (1904-1964), Alfonso (b. about 1907), Lela (1908-1966), Malaquias (b. about 1909), and Paulo (b. about 1911) were all born in San Miguel, NM. In 1912, the Bacas moved to Colorado and were living at 709 Prairie Ave. in Trinidad. The town had been founded in 1842 by Felipe Baca, an entrepreneur and member of an old, New Mexico family. In 1924, the Bacas moved to Denver, CO. Ernest’s mother died in 1927 when he was eleven, and by 1930, he and his older brothers William, a city fireman, and Paulo, a waiter, were living at 1315 Navajo St. with his sister, Lela, and her husband, Jose (Joe) De Herrera.

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During the depths of the Great Depression, Ernie was forced to drop out of school after the eighth grade. As a teen growing up on the tough streets of West Denver, he soon learned that a solid left hook made life easier. By 1934, he was working for A. J. Stahl, a regional franchise of gas, electric and heating plants. The following year, on 14 December 1935, 19-year old Ernie enlisted in the Navy at Denver. At that time, he was living at 1124 W. 10th Ave. with his father, who had remarried. On the enlistment form, Baca listed his occupation as “laborer” and said that he joined “to learn a trade.” For the question whether he planned to make the Navy a career, he answered, “yes”. During boot camp at Naval Training Station (NTS), San Diego, his time as an apprentice petty officer second class (PO2) was noted as “efficient and trustworthy”.

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On Saturday, 11 April 1936, the destroyer USS Sicard (DD 346) carried Apprentice Seaman (AS) Baca 80 nm. up the California coast to San Pedro, and his first ship, the New Orleans-class, heavy cruiser USS San Francisco (CA-38), at that time assigned to Cruiser Division SIX, Scouting Force, United States Fleet (CruDiv 6), with flagship, USS Louisville (CA 28), and USS New Orleans (CA 32). Three days later, his rating was changed to seaman second class (S2c). On June 22 that year, his father, wrote a letter to the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, asking for his son’s release from his enlistment. Frank Baca felt guilty that when he was unemployed he consented to Ernie joining the Navy. Now that he had a steady job with the city of Denver and could support him in school, he worried that his son would think he was too old for high school when he finished his enlistment. The Navy’s response expressed sympathy but stated that the “Exigencies of the Service prevent a favorable reply”.

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Seaman Baca hit a rough patch his first several months in the fleet. He got captain’s mast for being absent without leave (AOL) on 2 June for 2 hours 30 minutes, and was declared a “straggler” when he was AOL for 3 days between 9 and 13 August, for which he was found guilty at a summary court martial the next day, sentenced to confinement for 10 days and docked $6 a month for three months. As the Navy was occasionally modifying its cruiser divisional assignments, in late August 1936, San Francisco was flagship of CruDiv 8 with USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) and USS Quincy (CA 39). In April 1937, Frisco was flagship of CruDiv 7 with Tuscaloosa and Quincy.

 

On 24 July 1937, Ernie married 18-year old, Tennessee-born, Virginia Inez Reed, of 1059 Coronado Ave, Long Beach, CA. It was his first marriage and her second. Rev. Johnston Calhoun, pastor of the First United Presbyterian Church at 600 E. 5th St. in Long Beach, officiated and Virginia’s friend, Donna Wolf and her husband Lauren witnessed the marriage. On 1 December that year, Baca earned his petty officer’s “crow” when he was promoted to ship’s cook third class (SC3c).

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During the mid to late 1930’s, San Francisco ranged along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Peru and from California to Hawaii, engaging in battle exercises and drills. 1939 was a busy year for USS San Francisco. On 4 January, the cruiser stood out from San Pedro for duty on the East Coast, as flagship of RADM Husband E. Kimmel, commander of CruDiv 7, on assignment to the newly formed Atlantic Squadron, United States Fleet. During February, San Francisco participated in Fleet Problem XX, a simulated attack/defense of the East Coast and Latin America, part of which was witnessed by President Franklin Roosevelt, who gave two radio addresses just before boarding USS Houston (CA 30) with his naval and military aides, CAPT Daniel J. Callaghan and COL E.M. Watson, in which he warned the fascist dictators of Europe against expansionist plans for the Americas. Four aircraft carriers participated in the exercise and demonstrated new levels of operational efficiency, including teaming with destroyers for anti-submarine warfare. Frisco returned to Norfolk, arriving on 7 March.

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Ernie was a talented boxer and a member of USS San Francisco’s boxing squad, fighting in “smokers” on ships and in local venues, such as the large Navy Field in San Pedro and the venerable Olympic Auditorium, at 1801 Grand Ave. in Los Angeles, where bouts with sailor boxers were popular in the 1920s and ‘30s. On 21 March 1939, the 5’5”, 150 lb. welterweight was commended by USS San Francisco’s commanding officer for being on the boxing squad and acting as division trainer during 1938-39. Three days later, CruDiv 7 stood out for the naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba and further exercises.

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On 8 April, the three warships of CruDiv 7 departed Guantanamo for a three-month, good-will cruise to South American ports, travelling down the coast, through the Straits of Magellan and the treacherous waters off Cape Horn, then up the western coast of South America, to transit the Panama Canal and return to Norfolk.

 

May 10, 1039, USS Tuscaloosa, Quincy, and RADM Kimmel's Flagship, San Francisco, approaching Cape Horn in heavy seas. It’s questionable whether SC3c Ernie Baca had anything baking in Frisco’s ovens or simmering on the stoves when this was filmed.

 

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675043829_USS-San-Francisco_USS-Quincy_going-through-heavy-seas_breaker-on-bow-of-ship

 

In mid-May 1939, Kimmel’s three cruisers of CruDiv 7 were at Valparaiso, Chile, along the west coast of South America. Ernie had liberty and was at the Zeppelin bar with Frisco shipmates engaging in another sailor time- honored pastime. While they were bending elbows, one of a group of mess stewards from sister-cruiser USS Quincy, perhaps harboring a grudge over a recent intra-divisional “smoker” or some perceived slight by Baca as division boxing trainer, bumped him and took a swing. Ernie swung back and the fight was on. Baca decked the first man, only to have a large Quincy mess attendant jump in and start fighting, as others joined the brawl. Ernie and the larger man went “round and round”, until suddenly Ernie’s neck was bleeding. One of Baca’s shipmates, Fireman first class (F1c) Harry Fields, saw someone flash a knife, but Fields wasn’t close enough to identify the man. Ernie was treated aboard his ship for the stab wound and later hospitalized for two weeks at Norfolk (Portsmouth) Naval Hospital when Frisco returned to the base on 12 June.

 

An investigation ordered by USS Quincy’s commanding officer, concluded on 22 May that five Quincy mess attendants had been involved in the barroom brawl; however, the man that stabbed Ernie could not be identified at that point. Baca, Fields and a few other men from Frisco were given temporary duty on Quincy from 31 May to 6 June, to testify in summary court martial proceedings against the Quincy enlisted men for which probable cause existed for violations of the UCMJ in connection with the unprovoked assault on Ernie Baca at the Zeppelin bar.

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Departing Norfolk on 7 July, San Francisco was moored to the north side of pier 53, North River, on 12th St. in New York City for two weeks when the cruiser was host to French warships of their Atlantic Fleet and other foreign dignitaries paying a visit to the New York World’s Fair. American naval officers of the Third Naval District feted the French rear admiral and his officers on Bastille Day, and CruDiv 7’s new commander, RADM Andrew C. Pickens hosted a lunch aboard his flagship San Francisco on 17 July that SC3c Baca probably had a hand in preparing. Ironically, at the same time USS San Francisco was representing the Navy at the World’s Fair in New York, her namesake city was hosting the Golden Gate Exposition on the Pacific Coast.

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On 22 July, Baca was awarded $10 for materially contributing to the ship earning a white “E” in that year’s engineering competition. Following the start of World War II in Europe on 1 September 1939, USS San Francisco went to sea on Neutrality Patrols as far south as the West Indies beginning on 14 September. On 2 October, Baca voluntarily extended his enlistment for two years. On 14 October, Frisco returned to Norfolk after she was relieved by USS Wichita (CA 45). Two days later, Ernie was promoted to ship’s cook, second class (SC2c). On 14 December, prior to the expiration of his 4-year enlistment, Baca’s written request that he be allowed to make up the 3 days that he had been AOL in August 1936, was approved. His final marks were 3.84/ 4.0 and he received an honorable discharge on 30 December 1939, with his 2-year enlistment extension beginning the next day.

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On 11 January 1940, USS San Francisco departed Norfolk for the Caribbean and landed US Marines at Culebra Cut in Puerto Rico, returning to Guantanamo five days later. The crew had R&R at Mobile, AL from February 2-7 before returning to Cuba. On 17 February, Frisco cleared Guantanamo Bay and headed southwest for the Panama Canal and her return to San Pedro, where she rejoined CruDiv 6 on 29 February. On 18 March, she stood out for Hawaiian waters, where the cruiser engaged in fleet maneuvers, before returning to the mainland and Puget Sound Naval Yard on 25 May for overhaul and weapons upgrade, including the addition of 3-inch and 50 cal. anti-aircraft (AA) guns. Ernie’s son, Anthony Faustin (Tony) Baca, was born on 22 March in Long Beach. During the nearly four-month overhaul at Bremerton, WA, Ernie probably got leave a few times to drive or take the train down the coast to visit his wife and new son in Long Beach. On 26 June, Baca was awarded a good conduct medal dated “1940” for completion of his first four- year enlistment. On 10 September, Frisco stood out from Puget Sound for Pearl Harbor, with a brief layover in San Pedro and another chance to see Virginia and Tony. Ernie Baca was promoted to ship’s cook first class (SC1c) on 16 November. From October through June 1941, San Francisco engaged in fleet exercises, becoming flagship of CruDiv 6 in early May.

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Baca detached from USS San Francisco on 5 June 1941 for passage on the oiler USS Platte (AO 24) to four months temporary duty (TDY) at Cooks & Bakers ("C&B") School at NTS San Diego. Again, he had the opportunity to spend time at home with his family, making the ninety minute trip north to Long Beach on weekends when he wasn’t in class. Coincidentally, while Baca was on TDY at San Diego, San Francisco left Pearl Harbor for tactical exercises and an extended cruise to Long Beach, returning to Pearl Harbor on 10 September, when she was relieved as flagship. Finishing service school on 19 September, SC1c Baca was assigned for nearly a month to the Receiving Ship at San Diego, giving him golden time to drive up to Long Beach, until 14 October, when he boarded the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) for passage from San Diego to Hawaii. He rejoined his ship on 19 October 1941. The previous week, San Francisco had entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for an overhaul that was scheduled for completion by Christmas Day 1941.

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