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Baird Mitchell honored by Poland historians
By TIM CLEVELAND
Baird Mitchell, one of the best athletes in Poland’s history and a man who gave his life serving his country, was honored with a 50-minute presentation by the Breakfast Club of Poland Presbyterian Church of his life on Sept. 21 at Fellowship Hall.
Poland historians Ted Heineman and Dave Smith researched Mitchell’s life and accomplishments and gave the presentation.
“We [Ted Heineman and I] were trying to think of local people who were killed in wars prior to Memorial Day this year and Baird Mitchell came up,” Smith said of how the idea of doing the presentation came about. “We got really interested in finding more about his life and death and have uncovered a lot of information, much of which has never been seen in Poland.”
Anthony Baird Mitchell was born Dec. 1, 1918, in Youngstown. His father, Osborne Mitchell, served as Poland’s mayor for 10 years.
Baird was a three-sport athlete at Poland Seminary High School, playing basketball, cross country and track. He set a record in the mile run in 1937 that stood for many years, and he and the mile relay team won the Class B championship at the state track meet.
He graduated from Poland Seminary in June 1937 and went on to attend Washington and Jefferson College before attending Cornell University.
Mitchell married Sara Jane Aiken in Washington, Pa., on Sept. 27, 1942. Mitchell and his wife had their son Anthony Baird Mitchell Jr. on July 10, 1943.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps [now known as the Air Force] on Sept. 27, 1941, less than three months before Pearl Harbor, reaching the rank of captain.
Mitchell was flying a mission over Holland when his plane was shot down on Sept. 18, 1944, ending his life at only 25 years old.
During his military service, Mitchell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Air Medal and Army Good Conduct Medal.
In honor of his memory, Poland Seminary High School changed the name of its football stadium from Seminary Athletic Field to Baird Mitchell Field. Even after the new stadium was built, there is still a plaque with that name attached to the bleachers in Mitchell’s memory at the old stadium, which is located at the end of Cortland Street behind Village Hall.