Minonk resident Dennis Baker was a member of the crew who flew the first coalition plane into the Baghdad International Airport on April 27. 2003 at the start of the Iraqi War.  The crew were members of the 182nd Airlift Wing [rom Peoria. On board was a historic group: the first Iraqi Interim Government.

Show above is the crew, ftom left to right: LTC George OBryan, SRA Dave Stone, MAJ Dean Meucci, LTC Steve Konie, MSG Matt Stone, MAJ Dennis Baker, AlC Jim Tillisch (USAF Raven), and TSG Ralph Prado (USAF Raven). The photograph was taken by CMS Rick Barnick. (Courtesy of Lt. Col. Dean Meucci.)

Baker, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Baker of Minonk, is still based at the 182 Airlift Wing in Peoria and now flies the C130's into Afghanistan.  His father said that Dennis told him when landing at the Baghdad Airport the landing strip was so littered with bomb craters that they had to land on the takeoff strip.

Below is a picture of the first coalition landing in Baghdad in 2003.