R. Baker & Son: Veteran Founded Company
Walter Baker is an accomplished man. As co-founder of R. Baker & Son, he’s been at the helm of the company for 55 years. He recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary. He is also a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy. R. Baker & Son’s recent work at the USS Intrepid Museum called to mind some fond memories.
Walter joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1954. In 1961, a crisis arose when the border between East and West Berlin was closed, and Walter was called to active duty aboard the USS Remey. A Fletcher-class destroyer, Remey was armed with an arsenal of 5-inch guns, depth charges, torpedos, hedgehogs, and K guns.
As a boiler operator in the engineering group, Walter serviced Remey’s 800-lb boilers. While Fletcher-class destroyers are officially credited with a top speed of 36 knots, Remey could occasionally achieve 45 knots by “lighting off” the boilers’ super-heated steam.
Remey’s boilers served a more practical purpose for Walter and his crewmates, as well. Walter remembers cooking hams in the mudrums when inclement weather prevented the kitchens from being used. During one particularly fierce storm, Remey was battered by massive 45-foot waves. “We were iron men in an iron ship”, recalls Walter with a chuckle. “Sometimes, she seemed more like a submarine than a destroyer.”
In 1963, USS Remey was decommissioned, and she was berthed in Philadelphia. In 1976, she was sold and broken up for scrap. Walter would occasionally see her when R. Baker & Son worked in the Philly area, and she never failed to evoke proud memories of his service aboard her.
About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services is the premier specialized contractor for dismantlement, decommissioning, plant relocations and demolition in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Veteran owned company has been in business since 1935, has over 100 employees, an exemplary safety record (The company has been actively involved on four (4) sites that have received OSHA VPP site safety awards) and is financially strong (bonding over $10 Million). Capabilities include total plant and facility dismantlement, decommissioning, demolition, onsite concrete crushing as well as heavy equipment rigging, entire plant relocations, machinery moving and millwright services.
Contact Information
R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Fax: 732-450-0311
Website: http://www.rbaker.com/
Email: marketing@rbaker.com
