Hank Bauer was born on July 31, 1922, in East St. Louis, Illinois. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on January 19, 1942, and completed basic training at Marine Corps Base San Diego, California, in March 1942. After completing Sea School at MCB San Diego, he served as a Marine Guard at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, from June to October 1942, then joined the 4th Marine Raider Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California. Sgt Bauer deployed with the 4th Marine Raider Battalion of the 1st Marine Raider Regiment aboard SS President Polk from San Diego in February 1943, and served at Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides in the South Pacific from February to May 1943. He deployed with his unit to Guadalcanal and New Georgia Island, in the Solomon Islands from June to September 1943, and then at New Caledonia from September to January 1944. Sgt Bauer returned with the 4th Marine Raider Battalion at Guadalcanal from January to March 1944, and then during the assault at Emirau Island in the St. Matthias Group from March to April 1944. During this time the 4th Marine Raider Battalion became 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps. He then returned to Guadalcanal with his unit from April to May 1944, followed by service aboard the tank landing ship USS LST 227 at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands from June to July 1944. Sgt Bauer went ashore with 2nd Battalion of the 4th Marine Regiment on the first day of the Battle of Guam on July 21, 1944, and after the battle he returned to Guadalcanal with his unit in September 1944. Platoon Sergeant Bauer next deployed with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, and went ashore the first day of the Battle of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, and after fighting ended he deployed back to Guam in July 1945 to prepare for the Invasion of Japan. He returned to the United States in December 1945, and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps at the Separation Center at Great Lakes, Illinois, on January 18, 1946. After leaving active duty, Hank Bauer played professional baseball with the New York Yankees from 1948 to 1959, and then the Kansas City Athletics from 1960 to 1961. He managed the Kansas City Athletics from 1961 to 1962, the Baltimore Orioles from 1964 to 1968, and the Oakland Athletics in 1969. Hank played on seven World Series-winning New York Yankees teams, and still holds the World Series record for the longest hitting streak of 17 games in a row from 1956 to 1958. He died on February 9, 2007, and was buried at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Lenexa, Kansas.

His 2nd Bronze Star Medal for Valor Citation reads:

For heroic achievement while serving as a Machine Gun Non-Commissioned Officer of Company G, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Sixth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, on 15 April 1945. During an offensive action against the enemy, Platoon Sergeant Bauer organized and directed the evacuation of wounded comrades in addition to his regular duties. With stretcher bearers no longer available, he moved along the firing lines under heavy mortar and machine-gun fire and, unassisted, carried casualties to the aid station. By his tenacity in this self-imposed task, Platoon Sergeant Bauer contributed directly to the saving of several lives, and his gallant conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Platoon Sergeant Bauer is authorized to wear the Combat "V".