Courtland Milloy - WWII hero Vernon Baker fought fascism over there, racism at home: With the death last week of Medal of Honor recipient Vernon J. Baker, who was 90, the time has come to heed his final commands: You don't have to remember him as a hero, the retired Army lieutenant told me during a visit to Washington in 1997; just don't forget the sacrifices made by African American soldiers during World War II.In his memoir, 'Lasting Valor,' Baker wrote of a fierce battle April 5, 1945, in Querceta, Italy, between German soldiers and his all-black platoon from the 92nd Infantry Division: 'We had cleared the way for this all-white company to go all the way to [the Castle Aghinolfi, a Nazi stronghold] without hearing a shot. Our thanks was an ass chewing and an assignment to scout for white soldiers. It was a way of life for my men. It made me furious.'
