Sam Baker looks back on his experience as a Marine

Sam Baker is committed to making the world a better place. 

Inspired by his experiences during WWII and his early life, the centenarian has embraced the values of understanding, compassion, and kindness as well as the importance of education. 

The soldier

A Marine Lieutenant during the final days of the war, Baker found himself second in command of his 400-man battalion while stationed in a strategic Chinese port. Headquartered in an abandoned school, Baker took it upon himself to organize remedial classes when he learned that many of the soldiers had not completed their education.

This commitment to learning continued throughout his post-war career at what would become NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where as a manager he encouraged colleagues and staff to continue their education.  

The author

As a youngster, Baker himself struggled with reading. This challenge inspired a lifelong advocacy for childhood literacy, and at the age of 95, these efforts took on a new dimension when he wrote “Oscar the Mouse,” the first of three children’s books.

One of Baker’s primary goals is to help kids improve their reading comprehension and communication skills, along with sparking youthful curiosity, imagination and a lifelong love of learning. In addition to working on a new book for high school students, he derives further satisfaction from reading his stories to children in the classroom. 

“If I can have one child learn to read that wasn’t able to read, that’s an accomplishment,” Baker said. “It’s been very enjoyable to give a book to a child and their eyes light up when they see it. You know, books are a lifetime gift.”