Sgt. Stanley E. Baylor was the fifth of eight children of Walter and Viva Baylor. Known as "Jig", a nickname his father gave him, he began working on a farm at age 16. The children were raised with discipline and taught to respect their elders. They often worked long hours in the fields and knew what a hard days work meant. In the spring of 1950, jobs were hard to find with a looming recession. So Stanley and his brother, Leslie decided they would join the army. They headed to a recruiting station in Buffalo where Leslie was accepted, but Stanley was turned down because he weighed 1 1/2 pounds below the 135-pound weight limit. He was told he could gain the weight needed so he ate bananas for weeks and on the way to the recruiting station he was trying to eat five pounds of bananas in an hour. And so it was, that Jig enlisted in the military in the spring of 1950. He completed basic training and was given a two-week leave before he was supposed to head out, but his time off was cut short. The Army called and told him to report for leave early, setting off for Korea in August. He was killed when Communist Chinese soldiers wiped out the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment near a bend of the Nammyon River known as the "Camel's Head" in Unsan, North Korea. More than 350 troopers were declared missing in what the Army considered one of its worst defeats of the war. Stanley was listed as missing in action since November 2nd, 1950 during his service in the Korean War. His remains were identified through DNA in Hawaii early in December 2008. Declared legally deceased December 31 1953, he finally came home after nearly 59 years. He was 21 years of age at the time of his disappearance. Stanley was promoted to the rank of Sergeant while he was Missing in Action. His awards and decorations include, The Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea, War Service Medal. He was predeceased by his Parents, Walter and Viva Close-Baylor, one sister Evva Vigneri, and four brothers; Ross, Harold, John, and Leslie Baylor. One sister and one brother still survive him. Buried with full military honors next to his parents.
Army
L Company
3rd Battery Battalion
8th Calvary Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
Army
L Company
3rd Battery Battalion
8th Calvary Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
Sgt. Stanley E. Baylor was the fifth of eight children of Walter and Viva Baylor. Known as "Jig", a nickname his father gave him, he began working on a farm at age 16. The children were raised with discipline and taught to respect their elders. They often worked long hours in the fields and knew what a hard days work meant. In the spring of 1950, jobs were hard to find with a looming recession. So Stanley and his brother, Leslie decided they would join the army. They headed to a recruiting station in Buffalo where Leslie was accepted, but Stanley was turned down because he weighed 1 1/2 pounds below the 135-pound weight limit. He was told he could gain the weight needed so he ate bananas for weeks and on the way to the recruiting station he was trying to eat five pounds of bananas in an hour. And so it was, that Jig enlisted in the military in the spring of 1950. He completed basic training and was given a two-week leave before he was supposed to head out, but his time off was cut short. The Army called and told him to report for leave early, setting off for Korea in August. He was killed when Communist Chinese soldiers wiped out the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment near a bend of the Nammyon River known as the "Camel's Head" in Unsan, North Korea. More than 350 troopers were declared missing in what the Army considered one of its worst defeats of the war. Stanley was listed as missing in action since November 2nd, 1950 during his service in the Korean War. His remains were identified through DNA in Hawaii early in December 2008. Declared legally deceased December 31 1953, he finally came home after nearly 59 years. He was 21 years of age at the time of his disappearance. Stanley was promoted to the rank of Sergeant while he was Missing in Action. His awards and decorations include, The Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea, War Service Medal. He was predeceased by his Parents, Walter and Viva Close-Baylor, one sister Evva Vigneri, and four brothers; Ross, Harold, John, and Leslie Baylor. One sister and one brother still survive him. Buried with full military honors next to his parents.
Army
L Company
3rd Battery Battalion
8th Calvary Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
Army
L Company
3rd Battery Battalion
8th Calvary Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
Inscription
Stanley E. Baylor
SGT US Army
Korea
Aug. 5, 1929 - Nov. 2, 1950
PH KIA MIA
Laid to rest Aug. 1, 2009
Gravesite Details
A special thank you to grainne for sponsoring this memorial.
