Washington ( CNN ) -- Vernon Baker earned a Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II . But because of what the U.S. government acknowledges was racism against African-Americans who performed heroically in the war , it took more than 50 years for him to get what he had earned . Baker , one of only seven African-Americans to receive the nation 's highest military honor from World War II , died Tuesday at his home in Idaho , according to his hometown police and coroner 's offices . He passed away after a long battle with cancer . His wife and members of his family were by his side . He was 90 years old . Baker was orphaned at the age of 4 , and was raised first by his grandparents and later at Father Flanagan 's Boys Town in Nebraska . He joined the Army six months before the Pearl Harbor attack and was part of the 92nd Infantry Division , the first unit of `` colored '' soldiers to see combat in World War II . He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant and was leading a platoon against entrenched German machine gun nests near Viareggio , Italy , on April 5 , 1945 . His official Medal of Honor citation describes what he did : . `` When his company was stopped by the concentration of fire from several machine gun emplacements , he crawled to one position and destroyed it , killing three Germans . Continuing forward , he attacked and enemy observation post and killed two occupants . With the aid of one of his men , Lieutenant Baker attacked two more machine gun nests , killing or wounding the four enemy soldiers occupying these positions . He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy 's fire . '' After spending the better part of a day putting his life at risk to lead his unit , Baker was back in action the next evening : . `` On the following night Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective . '' Baker was originally awarded the Army 's Distinguished Service Cross for his action . But in the early 1990s , a study was done to find why none of the more than 400 World War II Medal of Honor recipients was black . The study found `` a racial disparity in the way Medal of Honor recipients were selected . '' Seven African American heroes from World War II were chosen to receive the Medal of Honor from President Bill Clinton . Four of them had died in the war , and two others had died in the time since the war . Only Baker was at the White House to have the iconic star and pale blue ribbon draped around his neck . During an interview with CNN before the White House ceremony on January 13 , 1997 , Baker spoke about the racism that delayed recognition of him and his fellow Medal of Honor recipients : `` As I look back on it , it really makes me feel sad that we did our job , we fought , but we were n't appreciated '' After the White House ceremony , Baker told CNN , `` I still do n't feel like a hero . I just feel I was a soldier and I did my job , and I think I was rewarded for it . '' Baker is survived by his wife , Heidy , and five children . He is expected to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors .
Baker , who received the Medal of Honor more than 50 years after his heroic acts , dies at 90 . He took out several machine gun nests firing on his unit in Italy . The U.S. government admitted racism was a factor in Medal of Honor decisions . `` I just feel I was a soldier and I did my job , '' Baker said after the 1997 ceremony .